


Heart of Gold

by SapphireWolf1122



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Cinnamon Roll Papyrus, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Frisk, I'm Bad At Titles, Journalist, Kinda, Mild Language, Minor Violence, My First Fanfic, My First Work in This Fandom, Mystery Character(s), Mystery Disappearances, No Smut, Post-Pacifist Route, Protective Papyrus, Reader Is Not Frisk, Reader fights back with the pen and her fists, Reader-Insert, Romantic Fluff, Tags May Change, Warnings May Change, monster racism, reader is female
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-29
Updated: 2017-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 23:29:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 61,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7335373
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SapphireWolf1122/pseuds/SapphireWolf1122
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>You are a journalist who is curious about the monsters who have been roaming around. After some pushing, you get assigned to write about some monsters that have been going missing. You soon find yourself making friends with them but an old friend has come back into your life and she is determined to take revenge one specific monster for a crime that should have been impossible for them to commit. As more monsters start to go missing and you do what you can to help your new friends, suspicions start to rise and loyalties tested. But as investigations and shocking discoveries are made, you can't help being drawn to one particular cinnamon roll skeleton...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Curiosity at its Finest

**Author's Note:**

  * For [EvergreenEmerald](https://archiveofourown.org/users/EvergreenEmerald/gifts).



> So this is my first fanfiction. Really, I'm pretty new to this fandom as well; wasn't really expecting to be writing anything for it anytime soon. But I was inspired the other day and just had to get it down.
> 
> This first chapter isn't much but I feel like it gets the story started okay. I'm going to do my best to update regularly. 
> 
> Please feel free to correct me on any mistakes, especially grammar-wise. I'm usually pretty good about that but it's hard to catch yourself sometimes. I also appreciate any feedback.
> 
> So here goes, and I hope you enjoy.

_Finally, after weeks of experimenting, she had found a way to contain it and still keep it close to her without it dying. She sat at her work table, tinkering furiously, eager to finally finish her project. This had been her obsession for months. Ever since that night, she had searched for a way to make sure she didn’t lose it._

_She had researched the nature of these things, looking into the furthest corners of libraries to the dustiest, least used books. At first, she had tried to merge with it, having gotten excited when she had read about that bit. But after failing that and further reading, she discovered that only they could do such a thing. Figures._

_Still, that hadn’t stopped her. She had looked for materials that could both contain and sustain it. She had managed to create a thermos-like container that kept it suspended but she wanted a way to carry it with her. And she had finally found the way._

_Finishing, she stood up from her seat and went to the back corner of the room where she kept the container. Lifting it up, she carried it back to the table and placed it on there. Closing her eyes for a moment, she took a deep breath and then opened the container. Instantly, a bright yellow light shot out, causing her to squint her eyes. As it dimmed, she reached her hand into the containment and took out the soul._

_Cradling it in her hands, she let herself feel it’s power, feeling it reach inside her and touch her own soul. She shivered; it always felt so intimate when she held the soul like this. Stepping forward, she placed the soul in its new container; it fit perfectly. Taking one last look at its yellow light, she reached for the cover and proceeded to seal it inside. When she was done, all that could be seen was the golden heart-shaped pendant she had created._

_Grabbing the long chain that was attached to it, she placed it around her neck, feeling as the pendant settle just above her abdomen. Immediately, she felt that power pulse through her again. Wrapping her hand around it, the feeling became stronger, as though she were still holding the soul itself._

_With this soul matched with her own, she would begin training. She would learn to Fight. She would learn to Kill. And then, she would have her revenge. She would travel to the Underground and find the skeleton. And then, she would destroy it._

* * *

 

_2 years later…._

You were sitting at your desk, typing furiously, glancing at the clock on your screen every now and again. You couldn’t believe how late you were running with this story. You had had over a week to write it but every time you sat at your desk, you just went blank. Your eyes would always be drawn to the TV screen suspended in the middle of the busy newsroom.

It had been only a few weeks since the monsters had broken the barrier and returned to the world above and not a day had gone by that they weren’t on the news. The city where you live is actually not that far from Mount Ebott, where the entrance, and apparent exit, to the Underground lay. Because of this, a few monsters had been seen wandering around. In fact, what seemed to be the “diplomatic” group of monsters had been staying on the outskirts of the city, along with the human child that they had claimed to be their ambassador.

You had seen their little group on TV most often, the child they called Frisk always by one of the monsters’ sides. The child seemed most fond of the female goat-looking monster. It was even rumored that they called her “Mom.” To say this wasn’t taken well by the human population was putting it mildly. They had tried several times to separate Frisk from the monsters but they always seemed find their way back to their “mother.” Social services had grown so frustrated that they had finally agreed to allow Frisk to stay with the monsters until they found any relatives that could take them in, with human social workers coming every week to check on them. You seriously doubted that anyone viable would actually turn up and you kind of hoped that no one would.

The way you saw it, Frisk was happy where they were. Obviously, if they kept running back to their “Goat Mom,” that’s where they wanted to be. From the sound of it, they had already been through some pretty tough times, from falling down a giant hole to going through God-knows-what in order to make their way out. You hardly saw the logic in traumatizing the child more by separating them from the only family they knew.

You really didn’t mind the monsters. In fact, you were quite curious about them; your sense of curiosity, more often than not, tended to get the better of you. As a journalist, this served you well. But it tended to get you into trouble outside of work. This is why you had been hoping to be assigned a story involving the monster, that way you had a good reason to approach the monsters and ask them questions. You had a pretty good standing in the office; though you had only been working there about a year and were still a reporter, your boss seemed to like you and you were pretty well-rounded with the stories you covered. Because of this, you tended to be the go-to person that the editors went to for assigning stories that they either didn’t feel like doing or didn’t have time to.

You had been hinting for weeks that you wanted a story on the monsters but you continued to receive regular assignments. Speaking of which...you had been staring at the screen for several minutes, once again lost in thought. And you saw that you had less than fifteen minutes before the deadline. Chastising yourself for getting so easily distracted, you continued your furious typing.

Finally you finished, and with five minutes to spare. You wasted another two trying to come up with a headline; finally putting something mainstream down, you quickly saved and printed the document. Running to the printer, occasionally dodging other people, you snatched it from the tray just as it finished.

Making your way hurriedly to the section editor’s office that the article was for, you dropped the article in the small bin that lay on her desk. Glancing over at you, she raised her eyebrows, staring pointedly down at the bin, then at the clock, and then back at you. You had made it with a minute to spare.

“Cutting it a little close, aren’t you ____?” she asked. She seemed amused as she took in your slightly heavy breathing and rather frantic appearance.

“Sorry Michelle. This one just didn’t want to come to me. I’ll admit that I’ve been a little distracted.”

“Still want to go chasing after those monsters, do you?”

You shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a curious person by nature.”

“Yes, well you wouldn’t be a good journalist if you weren’t.”

She studied you silently for a moment, making you a little uncomfortable with the scrutiny. Just as you were about to just say bye and leave, she said, “All right, I’ll give you a bone.”

Frowning at her choice of words, you asked, “What do you mean?”

Lowering her voice a little, she answered, “During the editor’s meeting this morning, Tom mentioned that there’s been wind of monsters going missing, specifically the few that have ventured beyond the city.” Tom was the Crime Investigations Editor; he used to be a police officer that had decided to retire early and pursue his dream of becoming a writer. His ties with the sheriff’s department made him perfect for the job.

You liked Tom; you felt he was a good writer as well as a nice guy. You had written a few stories for him before; it was one of the sections you enjoyed writing for the most.

Your interest piqued, you said, “What else?”

“Well, that main group of monsters that have been handling most of the diplomacy have been trying to get the police’s attention about it for a while. Apparently these monsters are a pretty tightly knit group and know each other pretty well. However, the police haven’t been doing much about it. Tom is quite frustrated about the whole thing and wants to do a story but is too overloaded to be able to do it himself.”

Instantly, excitement fills you. Doing your best not to burst from the office right then you said, “Oh my goodness, you think he’d be willing to give it to me?”

Michelle shrugged. “It’s not my place to say. But couldn’t hurt to ask, right?”

You’d been asking for weeks, you wanted to yell. But you don’t, instead saying thank you over and over again as you rush out of Michelle’s office and into Tom’s. He looks up from his desk with wide eyes as you practically storm in. Seeing the look on your face, he sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“By the way you just rushed in here and the way you’re looking at me, I guess you’ve heard?”

Not bothering to hide it you said, “Please Tom!” You kind of felt like a small child begging their parent to let you have some candy.

“I don’t know kid. This may be a little too big league for you.”

Getting a little annoyed now, you said, “Really? Out of all the reporters here, I’ve written the most crime beats for you! And not to toot my own horn but I’m one of the best writers you’ve got and you know it!” You had to keep yourself from yelling that last bit.

Raising an eyebrow, Tom responded, “You’ve got a rather high opinion of yourself there.”

“I just know where I stand. I spent way too much time lurking behind the scenes and I’ve worked hard this past year. I think I deserve a little recognition.”

“Hm. With an attitude like that, maybe you are ready for a story like this.”

Your eyes widen a little; despite your bravado, you hadn’t really been expecting Tom to say yes. You’d expected him to either send you on your way or to give you some of his own articles to take on the story himself.

“Wait, really?” you ask, a little suspiciously.

This got a laugh out of him. “Yes really. You’re right. You’ve done an excellent job since you started here and you are one of our best writers. Actually, you’re probably the best out of the all reporters, period.”

You feel your cheeks heat slightly. You knew you had a essentially just said that but it felt different coming from someone else. You weren’t used to being complimented like that and weren’t entirely sure you liked the rather awkward feeling it gave you.

“Th-thank you.”

Chuckling a little, he said, “Don’t let it go to your head now. This is probably the most in-depth story you’ve been assigned. We don’t have a whole lot of information as it is, so it’ll take a lot of digging on your part. You probably shouldn’t take on any other stories while you work on it. Any that you already have I’ll make sure get assigned to someone else.”

Nodding your understanding, you ask, “What information do we have so far?”

“Just a short list of the reported missing monsters and a phone number for the one that’s been reporting them.” As he talks, he starts clicking on his computer, bringing up what looks like an email. Printing it out on his personal printer, he reaches over to snatch it from the tray and hands it to you.

You quickly read through the list. You of course don’t recognize any of the names, as they’re all monsters. You finally you make your way down to the bottom of the page, where your only contact was listed.

Frowning, you ask, “What kind of name is Sans?”

* * *

 

_She’d been watching the news a lot lately, trying to find some clue as to where a specific monster might be. She could see his face in her mind’s eye._

_Finally, after getting back from several hours of training, she had turned on the TV to see his skeletal face, practically front and center. He seemed to be making some kind of announcement but she didn’t care. She had found him. He looked a little different than she remembered but it was definitely him._

_Looking at the bottom of the screen, she saw the name of the city and gasped slightly in shock. She hadn’t thought about that place in over two years, even though it had been where she’d grown up. A feeling of nostalgia came over her, quickly replaced by the usual anger, feeling it pulse with the flow of power that was now her constant companion. Not only had he dared come to the surface, but he was was on her turf. She would show him how big of a mistake that had been._

_Fingering her golden heart pendant, she reached for her cell phone. It was time she called an old friend._


	2. An Old Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get an phone call from someone you haven't heard from in a long time and schedule your interview with Sans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this ended up being a lot longer than I thought it would be. I know it's still not quite getting into the story yet and I'm sorry. I'll try to move it along next update.
> 
> Still I hope you like it and please feel free to correct me on anything.

You were sitting at your desk, twirling your pen in your hand. Staring down at your steno pad, you nibbled on the end of the pen before jotting a thought down. You had already done as much research as you could without the interview and actually going to the police station. As Tom had said, there wasn’t a whole lot. For the past half hour or so, you had been thinking up questions that you would ask this “Sans.” You were still a little perplexed by the name.

 

However, you had been able to find a picture of him. You had wanted to see if you could get an idea of what he looked like so you didn’t seem too shocked upon meeting him. It turns out he was part of the leading party of monsters, the ones Frisk were often seen with and the first to have returned to the surface. You actually kind of recognized him from the news.

 

Still, this didn’t stop you from staring at the picture for a while. It was only of his torso and head but it was enough. In the picture, he was wearing a blue hoodie, with fur-trim outlining the hood, and a black t-shirt underneath. Though the hood was pulled up in the picture, probably an attempt to avoid his picture being taken in the first place, you were still able to see his face. And that is what you couldn’t stop staring at.

 

His face was a skull. Literally. He had two black holes where his eyes should be, nasal cavities, and a huge grin for a mouth. It didn’t scare you, though you were glad that you had looked up the picture so you didn’t seem like a gaping idiot when you actually met him. No, it just made you want to meet him more. You felt like there was so much hidden behind that grin and you wanted access to that information, even if you only got a little of it. As you continued to look at the picture, you saw something else, something in his eyes. Specifically the right one; or rather his left, you corrected yourself. If you looked hard enough, you could see a blue glow deep within the depths of his eye…

 

Shaking yourself out of your reverie, you turned from your computer and reached for your purse. Pawing through it, you fish out your cell phone. You had about fifteen minutes before it was time for you to leave; just enough time to give Sans a call and try to schedule an interview.

 

However, while you were looking for the paper with his number on it and getting ready to punch it in, your phone started ringing, causing you to jump about a foot in the air and nearly drop it. Giving yourself a moment to get ahold of yourself, you finally look at the screen. It’s not a number you recognize and you consider just letting it ring. But, as usual, your curiosity gets the better of you and you swipe the the green answer key.

 

“Hello?”

 

A moment of silence and then, “Hey ____.”

You are unable to contain your gasp of shock. Though the voice was a little rougher than you remembered, you’d recognize it anywhere. You also hadn’t heard it in over two years.

 

“Tuliana?” Your voice comes out in a whisper.

 

“Yeah,” the voice sighs.

 

Thoughts and emotions raced through you. After the initial wave of shock comes relief and joy. For two years, you had worried constantly about the girl who had once been your best friend. After her husband Arthur’s death, she had disappeared without a word, leaving you behind to wonder what had happened. However, you soon feel a streak of anger as well. The same questions you had been asking yourself for years ran through your mind. How could she have done this? How could she have just left like that? Up until now, you had almost believed she was dead. Finally, you came to a new question: Why is she calling now?

 

You had been silent for awhile now, your breathing getting heavy.

 

“____? Are you still there?” She sounded a little irritated, as if she had any right to be.

 

This breaks you out of your daze and you snap, “Yeah I’m here. What do you want?” That came out a little a harsher than you meant it to. You weren’t generally an angry person and you didn’t like feeling like this. You struggled to calm yourself.

 

“I...uh...I’m coming home.”

 

This caught you off guard again, your eyes widening. That hadn’t been what you were expecting and you weren’t entirely sure you had heard right.

 

“Y-you’re _w-what_?”

 

“I’m coming home. Tomorrow. I’m hopping on a bus in the morning and should be there by tomorrow night around 6:30.”

 

You blink. “Okay. Why now? And why are you telling me this? We haven’t spoken in years. I thought you were _dead_!” You have to keep yourself from yelling that last part. Looking around, you’re reminded that you’re still at work; there were in fact people giving you strange looks.

 

Surging up from your seat, you make your way to the bathrooms. Relieved to see that the women’s was empty, you rush in, locking the door behind you. As you’re doing this, Tuliana continues speaking.

 

“I just feel like it’s time I guess. And you what? Why would you think that?”

 

“Oh I don’t know, maybe because you disappeared without a trace and never bothered to make any contact. Because whenever I tried calling you, the line would go dead. Guess I know why now.”

 

“Oh...I..wow. I didn’t realize-”

 

“What? What exactly did you not realize Tuli? That I care about you? That I would be worried sick if you just up and left? I know losing Arthur was hard on you, believe me I miss him too, but that was no cause to leave behind the people who love you!” You’re on the verge of tears now; you had been keeping a lot of this in for a long time and now it was all flooding out.

 

At the mention of Arthur, you hear Tuliana’s voice harden. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

Your eyes narrow. “Maybe not but that’s hardly my fault, is it?”

 

You hear her sigh deeply on the other end, as though she too was trying to keep herself calm. Finally, she said, “I guess not. You know what? This was a mistake.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“Calling you was a mistake. I should have known that my leaving would have consequences and that losing you would be one of them. It’s okay, I’ll just find a cheap motel to stay in until I can save up the money and find my own place. Sorry I bothered you.” And with that, she hung up.

 

Staring at the phone incredulously, you felt a stab of pain in your chest at her words. While you felt you had some right to be angry, you realized that you had let it get the better of you. You had made her believe that she’d lost you.

 

In the back your mind, you hear a spiteful voice say, “So what? You lost her first, only right to return the favor.” You shake your head; that wasn’t who you were. In light of the friendship and closeness you once shared, you felt you had some obligation to help her. You did still care about her.

Sighing, you quickly save her number in your phone and then proceed to text her.

 

**If you think I’m going to let you stay in some grungy motel, you have another thing coming. Be at my work at 7 pm, that’s when I get off. And if you don’t, I’ll hunt you down and drag you to my apartment.**

 

After you send that, you realized that she doesn’t know where you work and quickly send the address as well. And with that, you make your way out of the bathroom. Ignoring the looks of the few people left in the office, you quickly pack your stuff. There was no way you were going to call Sans now. You’d do that first thing in the morning when you got to work. Right now, you had to get home and prepare for your guest. And you needed a drink.

* * *

 

You walk into your apartment, closing and locking the door behind you. Throwing your keys on the table next to the door, you stand there for a moment, taking in your little home. A two bedroom apartment, the living room was to the immediate left of the entryway and the kitchen was to the right. Down the hall were the laundry room, the guest bedroom, which had a connecting door to the bathroom next to it, and the your bedroom, which had it’s own bathroom as well. It wasn’t much but you loved it.

 

Walking over to your desk in the far corner of the living room, you set your computer bag down, sighing with relief. Though the newspaper provided you with a computer to work on there, you still liked to carry your own laptop around.

 

Glancing over at the double doors leading out onto the patio, you sigh again, your gaze switching to the tall bookshelf occupying the wall to the left of your desk. Your mind was still racing and you knew you wouldn’t be able to sit down with a book tonight.

 

Tearing your gaze away, you made your way down the hall to the cupboard where you kept your towels and sheets. Grabbing the matching set of covers that was for the guest bed, you stepped inside the guest bedroom and proceeded to make the bed. This was the first time that it was actually being put to some use.

 

After you were done with that, you dusted off the nightstand and lamp that sat next to it. Then you went into the kitchen and made yourself a small dinner. Finishing that, you started getting ready for bed, taking a long, hot shower and getting into your favorite pair of pajamas. Crawling under the covers, you snuggled the small pillow that you always slept with. You may be almost 26 but that didn’t mean you were too old sleep with your favorite pillow that you’d had since you were a baby.

 

Looking at your clock, you see that it’s only 9:30 but you feel your eyes already starting to get heavy. Might as well turn in early for the night; tomorrow is going to be a long day.

* * *

 

 

_Tuliana stared at the text that you had sent her. Despite herself, she couldn’t help but smile a little. You hadn’t changed. It was then that she realized that she had missed you._

 

_Still, she hesitated. Though she had called you to ask for help, she felt now that it might be better not to get you involved. The thing was, she really did need your help. The job she’d had up until yesterday didn’t exactly pay well and she could really afford to stay in a motel for long. She figured she could maybe help you with rent while she found another job and started saving for her own place. Shouldn’t take her too long._

 

_And she’d make sure to hide what she was doing from you. You wouldn’t understand; you had always been so keen to see only the light in the world. You wouldn’t understand the darkness that she had been living in. No, she would make sure to keep everything from you and the sooner she were out of your home, the better._

 

_Nodding her head with determination, she texted you back:_

 

**_No need to go that far. I’ll be there._ **

* * *

 

The next morning, you made your way quickly to work. Having seen the text that Tuli had sent last night, you wanted to make sure that everything that you wanted to get done today got done. Dropping off your stuff at work, you grabbed your press pass and walked right back out. You were headed to the sheriff’s department so you could find out as much about the case as possible before your interview with Sans.

 

It was only a ten minute walk from the newspaper so you were there quickly. Walking in, you walked straight towards the front desk, you were glad to see it was one of the officers you knew. Since you wrote so much for Tom, you were at the office quite often and had come to know a few of the people who worked there.

 

“Hey Sarah. Is Will in yet?”

 

Will was the best of the criminal investigators and you knew that he would be the one to know the most about the missing monsters. He was probably the one in charge of the case.

 

Sarah smiled at you. “Hey ____. Will just got in; I’ll call him up for you.”

 

“Thank you,” you said, returning the smile.

 

After a few minutes, Will shows up, looking stressed but seemingly happy to see you nonetheless. Taking your hand warmly, he said, “____. Good to see you as always. What can I do for you?”

 

“It’s good to see you too Will. Well, Tom has just assigned me a new story.”

 

“I thought as much. What has he piled you with now, huh?”

 

“The missing monsters case.”

 

Will’s mouth dropped open. “He gave that to _you_?”

 

Trying not to seem offended, I said, “Is that so hard to believe? Think I can’t handle it?”

 

“Oh no! Don’t misunderstand my shock with doubt ____. I’m only surprised because I figured that this would be a story that Tom would take on himself.”

 

“Oh, well he wanted to but he is too overloaded. And I can be very persuasive when I want something.”

 

“You asked for this? Wow, you’ve got guts kid. Well, I’ll certainly help you but we don’t really have much. Most of the information we sent to Tom already.”

 

“I’ll take anything you’ve got.”

 

Nodding, he said, “Give me a few minutes, I’ll be back.”

 

About fifteen minutes later, he came out with a file in his hand. “These are copies of all the info we got. Like I said, it’s not much but hopefully it’ll get you started.”

 

“Thank you so much Will, I really appreciate this. I’ll probably be back later to get statements from you and the other officers involved in the case.”

 

“Sure thing kid. And it’ll be just me then. I’m the only one on the case.”

 

“You’re _what_? Are you serious?”

 

“Yup. The boss didn’t want to “waste” any more officers than he had to on a case for monsters.” You could hear the frustration in his voice.

 

“That’s...just...uggghh.” You couldn’t believe this. If these monsters were human, there would be a whole search party involved with the case.

 

“I hear ya kid, trust me.”

 

Shaking your head in disgust, you turned to leave. “Thanks anyway Will. I’ll see you soon.”

 

“See ya kid.”

 

Making your way out of the building, you’re still fuming from what Will just told you. Of all the stupid things. Sighing, you decided that you needed lunch early and grabbed something on the way. You had already finished it by the time you got back to the newsroom.

 

Sitting at your desk, you cover your face with your hands. After a few minutes of sitting like this, you finally reach for your phone. It was time to call Sans. Dialing his number, you wait impatiently as it rings. Finally, you hear a click and a gruff, “Hello?”

 

“Hi, is this Sans?”

 

“The one and only. Who’s asking?”

 

“My name is ____. I’m a reporter at the _Ebott Observer_ and I’ve been assigned the story on the missing monsters. I was given your number as a contact.”

 

“A reporter huh? So it’s finally become newsworthy? The way I see it, I’ve been doing plenty of reporting as it is. Why do you need me?”

 

“Well, I was hoping to schedule an interview with you so as to get more concrete details on the issue.”

 

“The cops can’t give you that?”

 

“As I’m sure you’ve noticed, the police aren’t so invested in this case. We-I want to get as much information on this as possible so as to be able to write a good story that will egg them into action.”

 

“Huh. Well isn’t that just downright _egg_ cellent of you.”

 

“I-uh- thank you, I think. So will you be willing to do an interview with me?”

 

“Sure why not. Can’t hurt, I guess.”

 

“When and where would you like to meet?”

 

“How’s about noon at that burger joint in town.”

 

“Uh, sure.” You were pretty sure you knew which one he was referring to.

 

“Great, see you then.” And with that, he hung up. You blinked at your phone for a few moments; you had never scheduled an interview in such a crude way. Oh well. At least you got it.

 

You spent the rest of the afternoon making sure that the stories you’d had before getting this one were all reassigned and looking over the file Will had given you. He hadn’t been kidding; there wasn’t much. But you took note of everything you felt was important. You also did some online research on monsters. There wasn’t much there, at least not anything that seemed useful. You’d have to remember to go to the library at some point.

 

You were so engrossed in your work that you lost track of time. You didn’t look up from it until you felt someone tap on your shoulder, causing you to jump and whip around, wide-eyed. The person who had tapped you took a step back and said, “Sorry to bother you, but someone just got here and is asking for you.”

 

You frown and then suddenly remember. Tuli! Looking at your watch, you saw that it was already past seven. Getting up quickly, you thanked the person and made your way to the front of the office, your heart beating rapidly.

 

Reaching the front, you see someone standing at the door, holding a duffel bag and looking awkward, fingering a heart-shaped pendant on a long chain. Hearing your footsteps, their head whips around and they try to smile at you, though it looks more like a grimace, as though the feeling were unfamiliar to them.

 

Stopping in your tracks, you breathe out a quiet, “Tuliana.”

  
“Hey ____.”


	3. Comic Sans

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You welcome Tuli to your home and finally have your interview with Sans

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another kind of long one. I hope I'm not boring you guys with the lack of UT characters. I promise I'm going to be bringing them in more from here on out. And sorry, I couldn't think of a better chapter title.
> 
> Please feel free to correct any mistakes.

You’re back in your apartment, standing at the doorway awkwardly with Tuliana next to you. After she had arrived at the office, you hadn’t said anything more. You had turned around to pack up your stuff and then headed out to your car with her in tow. The whole ride home had been filled with that same awkward silence. You hated it. There had once been a time that you two could talk for hours about anything. And now you could barely say three words to each other.

 

Looking at Tuli again, you can tell that she is just as uncomfortable as you. Wanting to finally break this terrible silence, you open your mouth to say something. But nothing comes out. Your heart contracts painfully; it’s like you’re scared. Thinking this is ridiculous, you shake yourself and go to say something again. This time you manage to form words.

 

“So...um...this is it. Home sweet home. Welcome.” Oh God, that sounded so stupid. You resist the urge to facepalm yourself.

 

Smiling that tight smile of her’s, Tuli said, “Thanks.”

 

“Um...yeah. Ah, your room is the first one down the hall. It’s pretty bare except the bed and nightstand so you’ll have plenty of room for your stuff.” You glance down at her large duffel bag, wondering if that was really all she had with her.

 

“Okay. I’ll go put my bag in there.”

 

“Okay. Do you need help with anything?”

 

“No I’m good thanks.”

 

You watch as she makes her way down the hall and into the room. You exhaled loudly, your cheeks puffing out with the force of the sigh. You need a drink. Walking quickly into the kitchen, you open your fridge and take out a bottle of Smirnoff Green Apple. Cradling the bottle in your hand, an idea pops into your head, one that makes you smile a little. 

 

“Hey Tuli! You want a drink?”

 

“Uh...sure. What do you have?” You hear her make her way back down the hall. 

 

Grabbing another bottle, you close the door to the fridge in time to see her round the corner. Offering one of the bottles to her, you say, “Jolly ranchers.” You now have a huge grin on your face.

 

Raising an eyebrow and taking the bottle from you, she said, “Really, you still call it that?” You’re not sure, but you think you see a smile playing at her lips.

 

“Of course I do. Why not?”

 

“I don’t know. I guess I just thought the you would have moved past that by now. You really haven’t changed much have you?” The way she said it, you’re not sure how to take it. 

 

Shrugging and twisting the top off the bottle, you say, “I wouldn’t say I haven’t changed. But yeah, I guess I’m not so different from when you knew me. Did you expect me to be super different?” You take a swig from the bottle.

 

“It’s not that. I guess I didn’t know what to expect. I feel like I’m not the same person I was last time you saw me.” She had also opened her bottle and taken a sip from it.

 

“Hm.” Taking a small step closer, you look at her intently for a moment. She leans back a little but doesn’t move. You look over her face, which has become darker and more hardened over the last couple years. It was familiar to you but at the same time strange. Looking into her eyes, you see that the light that had once shined in them had dulled. You feel a sharp pain in your chest, sad at what could have taken that light, though you had an idea. Sighing, you step back. 

 

“You’re right. You are different than how you used to be. But I’m sure that my Tuli is still in there somewhere, just under the surface.”

 

She blinked at you. “ _ You’re  _ Tuli…” She shakes her head a little. “Always the optimist.”

 

You shrug again. “I may not entirely know the person you’ve become. But I know who you were and that person was once my best friend. And I won’t give up on seeing her again.”

 

Tilting her head, she asked, “Why?”

 

“Not sure. Guess I’m just stubborn.”

 

She doesn’t seem to have an argument for that so you say, “So you never really answered my question last night. Why did you decide to come back?”

 

It was her turn to shrug. “Like I said, I just felt that it was time. Guess I got lonely.”

 

You narrow your eyes at her; as a journalist, you had a sense for when someone was holding something back from you. And Tuli had never been a great liar; you were glad to see that some things didn’t change. “Really? That’s it? Nothing in particular urging you back here? Like say, the fact that this city has essentially become the central hub for the monsters.”

 

This shocks her a little and you can tell you hit a mark. “It’s okay,” you say. “You can admit it. I’ve been rather curious too.”

 

She rolls her eyes at you, though you can see relax a little. “You’re always curious.” Chuckling a little, you make a motion of agreement. 

 

“So what do you know about them?”

 

This stops your laughter. The way she had asked that...you shake yourself again. “Not much really. I haven’t had much of a chance to do any research yet.”

 

“Yet?”

 

A memory is pulling at your mind and with it a voice telling you that you shouldn’t tell Tuliana about your interview tomorrow. Though you weren’t quite sure why you were feeling this way, you had learned a long time ago to listen to your intuition.

 

“Um, yeah. I’ve been bugging my boss to give me a story on them but he hasn’t budged.”

 

You can see the look of disappointment on her face, though she tried to hide it. “Well that’s too bad,” she said. “I’m glad you were able to finally become a journalist though; I remember that being your dream job.”

 

Smiling your thanks to her, you say, “Yeah. Well speaking of work, I have an interview tomorrow so I should probably head to bed.” You finish off your drink, going to throw it away and then grabbing a bottle of water.

 

“Oh okay. Well, good night I guess. And thanks again for letting me stay here.”

 

“Of course.” You stand there awkwardly for a minute, not sure what do with yourself. Finally, you decide to just go ahead and hug her. Stepping forward, you wrap your arms around her tightly, feeling her stiffen at your touch. You feel that stab of pain again. You whisper in her ear, “Welcome home Tuli.” You back away and head to your bedroom without looking at her again. 

 

As you lay in bed, you try to resurface that memory from earlier but it remains just out of your reach. Your eyes growing heavy, all you can recall is that it had something to do with how Arthur died…

* * *

 

At work the next day, you go over your notes and questions, wanting to make sure that you were ready for this interview. You had rushed out of the house today, wanting to avoid more awkward encounters with Tuliana. Luckily, she was still asleep when you left so you had left her a note telling her that you’d be back tonight and where the food was.

 

You glance at the clock repeatedly, wanting to time to go faster. As you wait, one of your co-workers approach you, another reporter.

 

“Hey ___. I heard you got that story on the missing monsters. That must suck.”

 

Frowning at him, you ask, “Why would you say that?”

 

“Well because you have to actually deal with the beasts now don’t you?” He crinkled his nose, making him look rather unattractive. “If it were me, I would have begged to have been given anything else.”

 

“Well I guess that just goes to show that you can’t handle a real challenge. And have you even ever really met a monster? What have they done to you?”

 

He sputtered. “I-I...they’re monsters!”

 

“So? They haven’t hurt anyone.”

 

“Yet! They were locked down there for reason; there was a war you know.”

 

“You know, for a journalist, you’re not very good at getting your facts straight. If you bothered to crack open a history book, you’d know that  _ humans _ started that war. Why? Because they were afraid. Funny how whenever the human race is afraid, people end up getting hurt.”

 

You don’t give him a chance to respond after that, surging from your seat, grabbing your stuff, and storming out of the office. Uh, close-minded people always got on your nerves. You look at your watch; twenty minutes until noon and the burger joint was only a ten minute walk away. You shrug; best to be early anyway.

 

When you get there, you seat yourself at a table outside so that you can see when Sans got here. Closing your eyes for a moment, you lean your head back a little, allowing the sun to shine on your face. You stay like that for a bit, letting your mind unwind from the last few days.

 

“Excuse me.”

 

You jump out of your seat, your fist reflexively pulling back as you turn towards the voice. As you turn, you see Sans standing before you, in the same blue hoodie that he was wearing in the picture. Next to him stood a kid that you recognized as Frisk, though they seemed a little older than what you had been expecting. Both of them had a look of apprehension on their faces as you all stand there frozen for several minutes. Finally, Sans speaks again. 

 

“Well...um...this is normally where I’d break the ice with some clever joke, but I can’t seem to find the punchline.”

 

You blink at him. Did he just make a pun? You realize that your fist is still raised and you quickly put it down. Both Sans and Frisk visibly relax.

 

“I’m sorry about that. I’ve been a little jumpy lately.” You stick out your hand. “I’m ____. We spoke on the phone yesterday.” You think you see a look of amusement pass over Frisk’s face but you can’t think of why. Even Sans’ already wide grin seems to get bigger.

 

“Well hiya there ___. Finally, a human who knows how to greet a new pal.” He reaches out to shake your hand.

 

As soon as your hands come together, you hear an audible,  _ pvvvvvffft _ . You pull back in shock, your eyes going wide. Frisk is now dying with laughter and despite yourself, you chuckle a little as well.

 

“I’m guessing this is a regular thing.”

 

Sans nodded. “Works everytime.”

 

You sigh. It’s not that you didn’t enjoy jokes, you just weren’t good at the verbal wit they usually called for and always felt at a loss for words whenever they came up. Oh well, you’d handle it. 

 

Smiling down at him (for he was actually a little shorter than you; there was a first), you say, “Well nobody warned me you were such a comic, Sans, but I can work with it.” Your smile widens at the small joke you’d managed to fit in there.

However, he didn’t seem to quite get it and moved along with the conversation, though Frisk seemed to understand what you were trying to do and smiled a little. You sigh again. That was pretty much all you got. 

 

“So,” Sans said, “shall we get things moving along?”

 

As the three of you sat, Frisk scooting their chair as close to Sans as they could get, a waiter approached your table. Eyeing Sans suspiciously, he turned straight to you and asked what you’d like to order. You chose to order a soda and your usual build-your-own burger. As you listed off what you wanted in the burger, Sans’ eyes widened and he declared that he wanted the same thing, though he asked if an extra bottle of ketchup could be brought to the table. You frown at this part, seeing the rather full bottle already sitting on the table. This seemed to annoy the waiter immensely but he jotted down the order. Frisk started make gestures with their hands. Seeing the look of confusion on the waiter’s face, Sans went to translate but you beat him to it, saying how Frisk just wanted a water and fries. As the waiter walked away, you saw the look of shock on both of their faces.

 

“What?”

 

**“You know sign language?”** Frisk asked.

 

You shrug. “A little; I took some courses in college, thought it might help with the job. I’m pretty rusty though.”

 

They stare at you again, making you squirm a little. Trying to diverge the attention away from you, you said, “I didn’t realize that you were mute, Frisk. It was never mentioned in the news.”

 

Before Frisk could respond, Sans cut in. “They can speak, they just prefer not to around people they don’t know very well. They’re actually quite the chatterbox at home.” He said this last bit fondly, shoving his shoulder into Frisk’s in a friendly way. They smiled at him affectionately, returning the shove but staying leaned in, resting their head on his arm. His grin seemed to become tender as they did this.

 

Clearing your throat uncomfortably, you say, “Um...well, if it’s all right with you, I’ll go ahead and get started while we wait for our food.”

 

Reluctantly looking up at you, Sans said, “Go right ahead.”

 

Nodding, you asked, “Is it okay if I record this?” holding up your recorder. “I can only write so fast and this helps with accuracy.”

 

Sans nodded his assent. “Thank you,” you said. 

 

You start your stream of questioning, starting off with ones you already kind of knew the answers to get warmed up.

 

“When did the monsters start going missing?”

 

“About two weeks ago is when it was brought to my attention.”

 

“How many have gone missing so far?”

 

“Well we just lost another one last night, so that would make a total of 11.”

 

You blink at this. Last night? “When last night?”

 

Sans shrugged. “Maybe around midnight is when I found out. I was up most of the night searching; this is the first one that was actually close to town.”

 

“You mean that this monster hadn’t left the city like the others?”

 

Sans shook his head. “They had actually settled pretty well here, all things considered.”

 

“Have you reported this to the police yet?”

 

“Did so just before I came here. Got the same response I always do. ‘We’re doing our best to locate your friends but unfortunately we have other cases that take higher priority.’”

 

Your hand tightened into a fist as you tried to keep your anger under control. “That’s ridiculous! Not only has another gone missing but it was right here in the city and they’re  _ still _ putting it off? If they were fucking  _ human _ there would be whole bloody search party out there right now!”

 

Sans blinked at you again, moving to cover Frisk’s ears. You feel your face turn red. “I’m sorry. I’m usually better at keeping my cursing under control. It used to be worse in college.”

 

He shrugged at you. “It’s actually kind of refreshing to see a human on our side for once.” Frisk gave him a pointed look. “Besides you of course kid.”

 

“Yeah I bet,” you grumbled.

 

At that moment your food arrived. Your stomach growled; you hadn’t realized just how hungry you were. As it was all laid out, you looked over Sans’ food to make sure it was correct, ready to rip the waiter a new one if it was wrong in any outrageous way. You were already starting to get tired of this prejudice for the monsters. But luckily for him, everything seemed to be in order; even the extra ketchup bottle was there. Man, what was with you lately? You felt like you got so easily riled up now.

 

You continued with the interview after the waiter left, talking between bites. You did pause when Sans took the extra ketchup bottle, popped the cap open and started drinking it. Blinking, it took you a few moments to stop staring and get back to the task at hand. As you continued talking, the interview started to feel more like a conversation. Though you still kept coming back around to the actual topic, Sans always seemed to find a way to insert some pun that sent the conversation on a different course or just left you speechless for several moments. Frisk stayed silent the whole time, not even moving to sign, seemingly content to just lean on Sans, clinging to his arm.

 

It wasn’t until after the table had been cleared and the waiter asked you for the third time if you’d like anything else that you looked at your watch and saw that two hours had passed. 

 

“Oh wow, we’ve been here for a while haven’t we? We’ll go ahead and take the check.”

 

“What time is it?” Sans asked. 

 

“Past two o’clock.”

 

Frisks eyes widened and Sans facepalmed himself. “Ah shi-oot.” You raised your eyebrow at his smooth transition there.

 

“What is it?”

 

“We were supposed to meet my brother after he was done training. An hour ago.”

 

“Oh no! I’m so sorry!”

 

“It’s okay; me running late is really not that uncommon. I’m just surprised that he hasn’t-”

 

“BROTHER!”

“Oh God. Speak of the devil…I’m in so much trouble.”

 

“SANS, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR YOU AND FRISK! YOU PROMISED TO MEET ME-”

 

You turned towards the loud voice approaching from behind you and see a tall skeleton approaching you; you could see the family resemblance. Upon seeing you, the newcomer, whose name you assumed was Papyrus based on his rather boastful announcement, stopped in his tracks. 

 

“BROTHER, WHO IS THIS RATHER APPEALING LOOKING HUMAN FEMALE WITH YOU?”

  
You felt your face go warm.


	4. Losing Track of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You meet Papyrus and do some more research on monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is a little shorter than the last two have been. 
> 
> Once again, please correct any mistakes

You were staring at Papyrus, your mouth open but unable to say anything. Did he just call you “rather appealing”? Did he mean to say he found you attractive? You suddenly felt like sinking into the ground, embarrassed. It was rare that people complimented your looks, especially complete strangers, so you never knew what do when it did happen.

 

Sans seemed rather taken aback by his brother’s boldness as well. Frisk looked like they wanted to burst with laughter as they looked between the three of you. Papyrus just stood there patiently, waiting for an answer.

 

After several moments, Sans finally said, “Uh, hey bro. Sorry we didn’t meet you, the interview ended up going longer than we expected. This is ___, the newspaper reporter I told you about.”

 

You waved tentatively, saying a quiet, “Hello.” You didn’t offer your hand though, holding your arm tightly to your side, afraid that if you let go, you’d melt. Plus, you were still cautious from the last time you shook hands with a skeleton.

 

“IT’S ALL RIGHT BROTHER! I CAN SEE WHY YOU MAY HAVE BEEN A LITTLE DISTRACTED!” Papyrus replied in his booming voice.

 

You felt your face heat up even more, sure now that it was completely red. Frisk had stopped laughing now; instead they were frowning, as though something that had been said was bothering them.

 

His face a slight shade of blue, Sans replied, “What? No! We...I…”

 

Finally finding your own voice, you said, “It was my fault. I had so many questions for him that it ended up taking longer than usual. I also had to adjust to your brother’s puns,” you add, chuckling a little bit, hoping to lighten the tension a little.

 

You weren’t expecting Papyrus’ eye sockets to widen in horror. “SANS, WERE YOU TORTURING THE POOR HUMAN WITH YOUR HORRIBLE PUNS? WILL YOU EVER STOP?” You can’t help but giggle a little; from what you could tell, the brothers had rather conflicting personalities.

 

Sans shrugged. “It wasn’t my intention to _pun_ ish her, I was just hoping to amuse her with my _pun_ manship.” You and Papyrus both sigh audibly.

 

“ALLOW ME TO APOLOGIZE ON BEHALF OF MY BROTHER HUMAN! HE HAS ALWAYS HAD A KNACK FOR HORRIBLE JOKES. ALSO, ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!” He sticks out his hand to you, on which he is wearing a red glove. You had actually noticed that red seemed to be his color scheme, same as blue seemed to be Sans’.

 

You were grinning now; despite the initial awkwardness, you couldn’t help but like this tall skeleton. You take his hand in your own, surprised to find that it felt like a regular hand, though you suppose the glove helped with that. “It’s good to meet you Papyrus. Sorry again for keeping your brother from you.”

 

“DO NOT WORRY HUMAN! I’M JUST SORRY YOU HAD TO DEAL WITH HIM FOR SO LONG!”

 

Laughing, you go to reply but suddenly notice all the people staring your little group. You supposed you probably made quite a sight: two humans and two monsters, one of which was yelling at the top of his lungs. However, your laughter started to die down as you noticed the kind of looks being directed at the four of you. They ranged from incredulity to disgust. You met the eyes of some of them, staring them down until they finally spun away in a huff.

 

You almost wished they hadn’t; you had the urge to drag them back over and make them see the monsters the way you did. However, as soon as the thought entered your head, you shook it off. That wasn’t right...where had that come from?

 

The others noticed your change in attitude and followed your gaze. Both Sans and Frisk frowned; Papyrus, however, was either oblivious or didn’t care.

 

“WOWIE, LOOK AT ALL THE HUMANS STARING AT US! THEY MUST BE JEALOUS THAT THEY HAVE YET TO MEET ME, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! PERHAPS I SHOULD GO INTRODUCE MYSELF!”

 

Tightening your hold on his hand, you instinctively pull him behind you. Papyrus really didn’t seem to understand the looks that were being directed at him and his brother and you didn’t want him to experience a rather rude awakening.

 

“HUMAN? WHY ARE YOU HOLDING MY HAND SO TIGHT?” Papyrus looked down at his hand still in your’s, pulling at it a little to emphasize that he couldn’t get out of your death grip.

 

Realizing that you might be on the verge of causing a scene, you rapidly let go of of Papyrus’ hand. Turning to the three of them you say, “You guys go ahead. I’ve kept you from your plans long enough. Thank you Sans for agreeing to meet with me.” You give Sans a pointed look.

 

Nodding his understanding, Sans said, “The pleasure was all mine.” Pulling out a beat up wallet, he looked into it, his face falling. Looking over at his brother he said, “Mind spotting me some cash bro? New job hasn’t quite come through yet and this ain’t Grillby’s.”

 

Quickly, you say, “Don’t worry about it. This one’s on me.”

 

The skeleton blinked at you. “You sure kid?”

 

“Yeah, get out of here. Go have fun.”

 

Nodding his thanks, Sans grabbed both Frisk and Papyrus by the hand and started pulling them away.

 

Looking over his shoulder at you, Papyrus said, “GOODBYE HUMAN! SEE YOU AROUND!”

 

Waving at him, you felt a smile tugging at your lips again. You hoped he was right.

* * *

 

After paying for lunch, you make your way back to work. People had continued to glare at you after Frisk and the skele-bros had left, even the waiter, but you had ignored them. Really, you had wanted to share a few words with them but thought it might be better not to. The walk back helped you to work off a little steam.

 

Once back at the office, you put your press pass back in its drawer and sat down, staring at your screen for several minutes. You thought over your interview. You hadn’t had a real conversation like that in a long time. While you had a few friends around town that you occasionally hung out with, you weren’t particularly close with any of them.

 

Though you had learned a little more about the monsters while talking with Sans, you found that your curiosity was even more fired up than before. Two hours hadn’t been enough and you had been more focused on trying to keep the topic on the missing monsters. You wanted another chance to speak with him. Or maybe Papyrus.

 

You smiled to yourself at the thought of the tall skeleton. He had seemed like such a sweetheart. Though it had taken you off guard at first, you didn’t mind that he tended to talk a little louder than normal and felt a conversation with him would be nice.

 

You sat there for several minutes like that, smiling and thinking about a certain skeleton when you heard someone call your name. Looking up, you saw Tom approaching you.

 

“What’s got you smiling like that?” he asked, amused.

 

“I-uh-nothing.”

 

He looked at you in a way that said he wasn’t convinced but dropped it, which you were grateful for. “How’d that interview go? I saw you only just got back.”

 

“It went well. Yeah, we ended up talking for a while. I think I got some good info though. Did you know that there was another disappearance last night? And that it was near the city?”

 

Tom’s face blanched. “Are you serious? Do the police know about this?”

 

You nodded. “Sans told them this morning but they said that it wasn’t ‘top priority’.”

 

He shook his head in disgust. “Unbelievable. I’m gonna have myself a talk with the Chief, that’s what I’m gonna do….” He walked away grumbling like this. You smiled as he went; Tom had a good heart and you were glad that he didn’t view monsters any different than he viewed humans.

 

Looking back at the blank screen of your computer, you sighed. You knew you weren’t going to get anything else done today. Your mind was racing too much for you to be able to sit down and start on the article. Checking your watch, you saw that it was almost four now. Three hours before you usually left the office. Chewing on the inside of your cheek, you decided to leave early and go to the library to see if you could learn anymore about the monsters and the Underground.

 

Picking up your stuff, you headed out.

* * *

 

When you walked into the library and asked for everything they had on monsters, the librarian couldn’t keep the look of surprise off her face. You supposed not everyone came in here asking for those kinds of things. Or maybe she was just surprised that someone was actually coming in here to do research instead of just using the Internet.

 

She led you deep into the library, into a far corner that was filled with old, dusty books. Thanking her, you laid your stuff down on a nearby table and started looking. You came back with about ten books in your arms. As you started skimming through them, you saw that most of the books were about the war between the humans and monsters. As you read, you were disgusted at the way monsters were portrayed. But what else could be expected? History books were written by the winners and monsters hadn’t been around for decades to defend themselves.

 

You did find one book on monsters and their magic and you were quickly engrossed in it. You didn’t realize how much time had passed until the same librarian came back to tell you that the library was about to close. Frowning, you looked down at your watch and saw that it was almost 9:30!

 

You groaned as you remembered Tuli and that she had been stuck at home all day. Checking your phone, you saw that she had indeed texted you, asking when you were coming home. This had been nearly two hours ago. Groaning again, you quickly texted her that you were sorry, explaining that you had been doing some research at the library and lost track of time.

 

Picking up your pile of books, you went to put them away, keeping the one about magic. You asked the librarian if you could still check out a book, fishing into your purse for your old library card. Nodding, she led you back to the front desk and checked you out. Thanking her, you rushed outside. You had left your car at the office and it was a fifteen minute walk. You groaned once again.

* * *

 

By the time you got home, it was almost 11 o’clock. All the lights were out and you saw that guest room door was closed. Sighing to yourself, you put your stuff down at your desk and started walking over to your room. However, as you passed Tuli’s door, you thought you heard something. Thinking that she might still be awake, you knocked softly and slowly opened the door.

 

The room was dark, the hallway light showing you that Tuli was in fact asleep but was muttering in her sleep. You also noticed that she had a death grip on one of the pillows and was breathing heavily. Stepping inside, you started hearing snippets of what Tuli was saying.

 

“Get away...Arthur...no…”

 

You felt your heart contract as you realized that she was having a nightmare. Approaching the bed, you put your hand on her back, feeling her sweat through her shirt, and tried to wake her up.

 

Shaking her a little, you said, “Tuli? Tuliana, sweetie wake up.” All you managed to do was cause her to pull away from you. Sighing, you thought for a moment and then, taking off your shoes, climbed into the bed with her, lying on your back. Grabbing her shoulders, you gently pulled her towards you. She jumped at your touch and resisted at first but as you continued to pull her, you whispered to her as well.

 

“It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re safe here, I promise.”

 

You weren’t sure how much actually got through but the softness of your voice seemed to calm her a little and you managed to pull her towards you so that she was now laying on your chest. Wrapping your arms fully around her, you began rocking her gently, repeating your mantra.

 

You felt her begin to relax and actually wrap her own arms around you. Knowing that this was where you’d be sleeping tonight, you pulled the blanket over both of you and closed your eyes, keeping your arms around her and making little circles with your thumb on her arm.

 

As you started to be pulled towards sleep, the same memory that had been tugging at you the night before came back but this time you were actually able to remember, causing your eyes to snap open.

  
The night that Tuliana had been found, after Arthur’s death, she had been rambling almost incoherently. When someone had finally managed to get through to her, asking her what had happened, she had finally managed to get out that her and Arthur had been attacked at their campsite and that Arthur had been killed. By a skeletal monster.


	5. The More the Merrier

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You get a dinner invitation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting a little later than I usually do. I was with family yesterday so I didn't have a lot of time to write. It's still a lot of filler. I wanted to get further with the chapter but realized that I had already written a bunch. I'll try to post the next chapter my usual time. Also, I again couldn't think of a better title.
> 
> Again, I appreciate corrections and feedback.

_ Tuliana woke, suddenly aware of a warm presence lying beside her. Frowning, she looked around quickly to see you fast asleep. Your arms were still wrapped around her, though a little more loosely than earlier, and your face was buried into the pillow next to her head. Confused, she racked her brain for when you could have crawled into bed with her. And  _ why _. While the two of you used to have sleepovers often and had grown accustomed to sleeping in the same bed, she hardly thought that you would be comfortable doing so now. And so randomly too.  _

 

_ She went to move away from you but you must have sensed the movement because your arms wrapped tighter around her and you made a small noise that almost sounded like, “Nooo.” Sighing, she looked back down at you; she noticed that you were still in regular clothes, meaning you hadn’t even gotten ready for bed yet when you’d come in. Smiling despite herself, she seriously couldn’t figure out why you had come in. She guessed she’d ask you in the morning, seeing as you apparently had no intention of letting her go anytime soon.  _

 

_ Settling back down, she felt you snuggle closer again. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept in the same bed as someone. Well, she could. But suffice it to say that it had been awhile. Out of habit, she reached for the necklace that she wore even in her sleep. Tracing the chain down to the pendant, she felt the soul inside reach within her, wrapping invisible tendrils around her own.  Images flashed before her eyes and she tried to close her eyes against them but it only made them clearer. Her breathing quickened and she tried to calm herself. Again, you seemed to sense something and your hand automatically started forming circles on your arm. You seemed to be whispering something. She caught something that sounded like, “...you’re okay…” _

 

_ She was so surprised that it distracted her enough that the images dissipated. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was three in the morning. She had wanted to get up to train in the morning; hopefully you let go of her enough that she could slip away. Her eyes growing heavy again, she snuggled beneath the blanket, enjoying the extra warmth. And as she fell back to sleep, she felt something in her that she hadn’t in a long time. Something filled with light. _

* * *

Sans woke up to banging in the kitchen. Being careful not to wake Frisk, who had started sleeping regularly with him, he made his way out of his room and toward the kitchen through the dark. His body started humming with magic as he prepared to give any intruders a bad time. However, as he rounded the corner, it wasn’t an intruder in the kitchen but a familiar tall figure going through the cabinets as if they were looking for something.

 

“Paps?”

 

Caught off guard, Papyrus turned quickly towards Sans’ voice, fumbling with whatever was in his hands. It looked like a box of uncooked spaghetti noodles.

 

“BROTHER! YOU FRIGHTENED ME!”

 

Shushing him, Sans replied, “Bro, keep your voice down. People are sleeping in here. And I frightened you? What’re you doing?”

 

“WELL I- I mean, I was thinking it might be nice to invite ____ over for dinner tomorrow night. I was so excited with the idea that I couldn’t sleep and decided to get up to make sure we had all of the ingredients!”

 

“Um...okay. Why?”

 

“Well because it wouldn’t do to be unprepared when one is planning to have a guest Sans! And I, the Great Papyrus, am always prepared!”

 

“No bro, why do you want to invite ___ over for dinner? We barely know her.”

 

Sans wasn’t sure if he was imagining it but he thought he saw his brother’s orange blush through the darkness.

 

“Oh...well, I- I, um, thought it might be a nice way to, um, thank her for paying for your lunch.”

 

Sans stared at his brother for a moment. Did Pap just stumble over his words? He only ever did that when he was flustered or embarrassed. Usually whenever Sans made a pun that he particularly didn’t like. Sans frowned. What was happening?

 

“Is that the only reason?”

 

“Um, well, I also thought it might be nice to have another human friend. Frisk is awesome but maybe we should try to make more now that we’ve made it to the surface.”

 

Sans tilted his head, thinking over his brother’s words. He still felt like there was still more to this but was too tired to pry. Now that he knew that their house wasn’t being ransacked by intruders, the energy had drained from his body and all he wanted was to go back to bed. 

 

“So what do you think brother? Do you think she will want to come?”

 

Sans saw the hopeful look in his brother’s eyes and shrugged. “Sure bro. But we’ll have to ask her and find out.”

 

“GREAT! LET US CALL HER NOW!”

 

Shushing him again, Sans said, “Something tells me she’s probably sleeping right now. How about later, when it’s light out?”

 

“Oh...right.”

 

“Don’t worry bro, we’ll call her first thing in the morning. Now, I’m going to go back to bed. You should too so you’re energized for cooking tomorrow.”

 

“I will brother! As soon as I’ve made a list of everything we need!”

 

“Fine, but do me a favor and keep it down, will ya?”

 

“Of course brother.” Papyrus continued shuffling through the cabinets, attempting to keep quiet but occasionally slamming a door by accident.

 

Sighing, Sans shuffled back to bed, crawling under the covers, feeling as Frisk turned towards him instantly and wrapped their arms around his sternum. Smiling, he quickly started to fall back to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be interesting. He sure hoped for both Paps’ and your sake that you said yes to dinner. 

* * *

You woke up to the sun shining in your eyes. Your brain still foggy, you wondered why it seemed to be coming from a different angle than usual, forgetting for a moment about last night. Then it all rushes back to you and you shoot up in the bed, looking around to see that Tuliana was not in it. Looking over at the nightstand, you saw that the clock read ten a.m. Your heart jumped as you realized you were late for work. But then you saw the day on the clock read that it was Saturday. Instantly, relief fills you. Though you did often go into the office on the weekends, it wasn’t required of you as a reporter. Seeing as you were already running late, you decided to just work from home today. You also feel surprised; you hadn’t realized that it was Friday yesterday. Things had been so hectic that you’d lost track of what day it was.

 

Next to the clock, you also noticed a note from Tuli. Picking it up, you read that she had gone to workout for a few hours, as she had finally managed to “pry you off her.” You frowned. Had you been clinging that much? The note further read that she planned on being back around 10:30. Deciding that you could be lazy a little while longer, you throw yourself back onto the bed, snuggling deep into the blankets.

 

Breathing in, you smell something familiar but are unsure of what it is. Sticking your nose deeper into the blankets, you breathe in again and it comes back stronger. It takes you a second to realize that it’s Tuli’s scent. You smile; for the longest time you had thought you’d never smell that again. There had once been a time when you could smell it just by thinking about her. There had once been a time that all you ever did was think about her…

 

You shake your head vigorously. You had put that behind you a long time ago. Still, you allow yourself to snuggle into the blankets. As you do, your thoughts are drawn back to yesterday. You start thinking about Frisk and the skeleton brothers. Once again, you felt a smile tug at your face as you think of Papyrus’ enthusiasm. Though it had nearly gotten him in trouble, you found it to be a refreshing quality. Not many people still had that kind of attitude anymore. 

 

However, the thought of the skeleton brothers also brings back what you had remembered last night. You go over it in your head. While you knew that there was no way that it could make sense, you just found it too coincidental. But again, how could it be possible? The barrier had still been sealed at the time. You’re still mulling this over when you hear the door open and close. 

 

You listen as footsteps make their way down the hallway, seeing as Tuli appeared in the doorway, stopping when she saw that your eyes were open. Seeing you snuggled in the blankets, she smiled with amusement. You noticed that it seemed more genuine than the last few.

 

“Well good morning.”

 

“Morning,” you reply, your voice muffled from the covers.

 

“Finally decided to wake up I see.”

 

You shrug. She walked over and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at you strangely. You saw that she was still sweating from her workout.

 

“So now that you are awake, care to explain why you were in bed with me?”

 

You frown. Sitting up, you look her in the eye and ask, “You mean you don’t remember at all?”

 

She shook her head. “If I did, I wouldn’t be asking, would I?”

 

You tilted your head. “Well I came home late last night; I had lost track of time while doing some research. I heard something when I was passing your door and, thinking you were still awake, I came in to say hi and good night. But you weren’t awake, you were having some kind of nightmare. I tried to wake you but you just pulled away from me, so I did the only other thing I could think of and climbed in bed with you. I held you and spoke to you and it seemed to calm you down. You had wrapped your arms around me and I came to the conclusion that this is where I’d be sleeping for the night.”

 

Tuliana blinked at you. This had apparently not been the answer she had been expecting; you wondered what she had been expecting.

 

“I-uh...you didn’t have to do that…” You raised an eyebrow at her. 

 

“Do you really think I would just leave you there? That I would have been able to just go to bed and allow you to continue like that?”

 

She ducked her head. “I suppose not.”

 

You smiled at her. But then you thought again of what you had remembered and it slipped from your face. You wanted to ask her about it but didn’t want to put her in a bad mood. 

 

“Were you able to tell what the nightmare was about?” 

 

You look up at Tuli. Sighing, you say, “From what I grasped, it seemed to be about the night Arthur died.” You tried to say this as gently as you could. 

 

She nodded, not seeming surprised. “Is this common?” you ask.

 

You saw as she fingered the pendant around her neck. You had noticed her wearing it last night while she was asleep. You wondered where it had come from and why she always wore it, even when sleeping or working out.

 

“They come on and off. They’ve been getting more regular.”

 

“Have you tried talking to someone about it?”

 

She looked at you incredulously. “Why would I do that?”

“To try to figure out how to get them to stop.”

 

Her eyes hardened. “Trust me, I know how to stop them.”

 

Frowning, you go to reply but are interrupted by the ringing of your phone, which you had left in the kitchen last night. Surprised that it wasn’t dead since you hadn’t plugged it in, you get out of the bed and hurry over to it. Seeing the caller ID, you frown again, confused as to why this person would be calling you. You answer.

 

“Sans?”

 

“NO ____. IT IS I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS! I AM USING MY BROTHER’S PHONE SINCE I HAD YET TO ACQUIRE YOUR NUMBER!”

 

You jump at the unexpectedly loud voice coming from the other end, holding the phone out a little. You laugh. Did this skeleton have any concept of an inside voice?

 

“Uh hey, Papyrus. What’s up?”

 

“WELL, I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WOULD BE INTERESTED IN JOINING US FOR DINNER TONIGHT!”

 

Your eyes widened. They were inviting you over to their house? Tonight? You felt excitement bubble inside you.

 

“Wait, really? Tonight?”

 

“WHY YES! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE A WONDERFUL DINNER PLANNED! I HOPE YOU LIKE SPAGHETTI!”

 

“Are you kidding? I love spaghetti! And I’d love to come over!”

 

“WOWIE! I KNEW YOU PROBABLY HAD GREAT TASTE FOR FOOD! AND NOW YOU CAN MEET EVERYBODY!”

 

Everybody? How many monsters were going to be at this dinner? You shrugged; the more the merrier. That’s when you realized that Tuli would end up alone again tonight. Immediately, you want to ask if she can come too but stop short when you think about the memory. Would it be smart to bring Tuli to a dinner party full of monsters when she may believe that it was a monster that killed Arthur. Specifically, a skeletal monster. You chew on your lip. You really want to go to this dinner but you didn’t want to leave her all alone again. You would be right there the whole time and this might be a good way to show her that monsters weren’t, well...monsters.

 

“Hey Papyrus, would it be okay if I brought a friend with me? She’s my...roommate and I don’t want to leave her all alone.”

 

“ANOTHER HUMAN? WOWIE! OF COURSE SHE CAN COME; THE MORE THE MERRIER,” he replied, unknowingly echoing your thought from earlier. 

 

His excitement brought the smile back to your face.

 

“Awesome. What time should we be there?”

 

“DINNER SHOULD BE READY AT PRECISELY SEVEN O’CLOCK!”

 

“Great! We’ll see you then!”

 

As soon as you hang up, you hear Tuli ask behind you, “We’ll see who when?”

 

You turn around slowly, trying to keep the smile fixed on your face. “Um, a human child, two skeleton brothers, and a few of their fellow monster friends for dinner tonight at 7 o’clock?”

  
She blinked at you.


	6. Starry Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You make your way to the dinner party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's been a few days since I last updated. The holiday weekend made it hard for me to be able to write regularly. But here ya go. Hope you like it.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.
> 
> (Edit: I realized that I forgot to add some stuff that I had wanted to put in. This the updated version, done 7/6, 6:14 pm EST. It's just a bit more dialogue really. )

_You had lied to her._

_Tuliana sat quietly in the car as you drove. After telling her about the dinner party, you had come clean about the interview and the story. You had looked quite sheepish, not meeting her eyes as you spoke. As she listened, she kept her face calm but inside she was boiling._

_Not only had you lied to her about meeting with the monsters, but you seemed to have begun to befriend them. The fact that these brothers were “skeletons” only made it worse. Though she wasn’t sure how much you knew about that night. The final report had claimed that a bear had been responsible for killing Arthur. Still, you had kept the interview from her for a reason. You had claimed that you weren’t entirely sure why you had lied but she wasn’t exactly inclined to trust you right now._

_She had been starting to let her guard down too. While she didn’t doubt that you genuinely cared for her, she couldn’t let herself become distracted from her purpose. She still had a task to fulfill. And you may have just given her the opportunity she needed._

_She gripped the pendant tight._

* * *

 

You drove in silence. Since telling Tuli about the dinner party and coming clean to her, she hadn’t said much. You could see that she had withdrawn into herself again. And just as you were starting to get her to come out.

 

The thing was, you weren’t sure what exactly the reason was. Whether it was the fact that you’d lied to her or that she was about to be in a house full of monsters. Perhaps it was both. It was probably both.

 

You sigh, seeing in your peripheral as she looked over at you. Glancing over at her, you try for a smile but she just frowns a slightly and turns to continue looking out the window. You sigh again. You want to say something but can’t think of anything; you find yourself opening and closing your mouth as you go to but continue to come up with nothing.

 

Well, you do have a topic that you wanted to discuss but you don’t think it a good idea when you were on your way to the house. You still weren’t entirely convinced that bringing her along had been a good idea to begin with but you were already on your way and uninviting her would have just seemed suspicious and strange. You didn’t think that she suspected how much you knew. Or at least thought you knew. You were still hoping that you were wrong.

 

Coming to the outskirts of the city, you leaned forward in your seat a little so you could better tell where the houses were. Since humans weren’t exactly inclined to assist monsters in adapting to the surface, they had been left to largely fend for themselves. This included finding places to live. The government had given them much of the land outside the city to start building their own homes. Of course, they still needed jobs in order to afford the materials and upkeep for their homes. Some of them had managed to find some around town but they were menial jobs that just payed minimum wage. You had actually heard that some employers had taken advantage of how desperate they were and were paying them less than minimum wage. And of course the government hadn’t been inclined to do anything about it. It didn’t help that they were monsters; it wasn’t actually required to give them the same rights as humans by law.

 

This time your sigh was one of anger. This caused Tuli to look over at you again and actually ask, “What was that about?”

 

“I was just thinking about the whole situation with the monsters and how unfair they’re being treated.”

 

“Why do you care? They’re not one of us.”

 

You have to force yourself to keep your eyes on the road and not shoot a glare her way. “If by ‘one of us,’ you mean not human, that shouldn’t matter. They’re still living beings who want nothing but to live peacefully among us and have done nothing to be treated how they have been.”  You try to keep your voice from rising.

 

“You have no idea what they’ve done,” she responds quietly, a hint of anger barely contained under the surface of her voice.

 

This time you do look over at her; she’s turned back towards the window but you can see her reflection in the window. Her jaw is set angrily and you think you see a glisten of tears.

 

“Maybe not but even if a some of them have done horrible acts, that should not determine how we treat the lot of them. Many of them are innocent.”

 

She doesn’t respond and you go back to looking for the right house. By this time, the make-shift neighborhood has appeared. Turning onto a dirt road, you make your way down it. When you had texted Sans’ phone asking for an address of some sort, you had been told to go down the first dirt road to the end. Monsters that are still out and about stare at your car as you pass by. Your face warms at the attention. Finally reaching the end of the road, you see the largest house (which isn’t saying much) so far in the neighborhood with lights shining from every window. Something tells you that this is your destination.

 

Pulling in front of it, you put the car in park and turn it off. Taking one more look over at Tuli, you get out, opening the back door and taking out the drinks that you brought. You had wanted to bake something to bring as dessert but hadn’t had the time so had settled for alcohol. You hoped they liked jolly ranchers.

 

You walked up to the front door, Tuli trailing behind you, and knocked. You heard banging from inside, a yelp, and then what sounded like running footsteps. The door opened to a flustered Papyrus in a stained apron and drooping chef’s hat. His eye sockets widened when he saw you standing there.

 

“___! YOU’RE EARLY!”

 

You glance at your watch; it’s 6:45.

 

“I...uh...yeah, I guess. Sorry, you said that dinner would be ready at seven so I thought I should be here for when it was.”

 

“IT’S QUITE ALRIGHT HUMAN! I’M JUST SO USED TO MY BROTHER BEING LATE ALL THE TIME THAT I’VE COME TO EXPECT IT! I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT YOU WOULD EXCEED THOSE EXPECTATIONS; NOT EVERYONE IS A LAZYBONES LIKE MY BROTHER! AND THIS MUST BE YOUR HUMAN FRIEND! GREETINGS MADAM! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AND AM AS PLEASED TO MEET YOU AS I’M SURE YOU ARE TO MEET ME! I LOOK FORWARD TO BECOMING GREAT FRIENDS; YOU MUST BE IF YOU ARE FRIENDS WITH A HUMAN SUCH AS ____!”

 

You feel your face warm at the unexpected praise. Looking behind you at Tuli, you see her eyes are wide from surprise and that her face was a little red as well. You can tell that Papyrus had definitely not been what she had been expecting and she seemed at a loss for words. Smiling, you turn to Papyrus to introduce her, seeing as she seemed incapable to do so herself.

 

“This is Tuliana. She was my best friend growing up.”

 

“DOES SHE PREFER NOT TO SPEAK AS FRISK DOES?”

 

You see Tuli’s face get even redder. “No, her speechlessness isn’t normal. She has just never formally met a monster before.”

 

“OH! WELL DO NOT WORRY TULIANA, BEST FRIEND OF ____! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WELCOME YOU WITH OPEN ARMS INTO MY HUMBLE HOME! NYEH HEH HEH!”

 

He apparently meant that literally, as he opened his arms and engulfed both you and Tuli into a huge hug. Man, he was strong! He even managed to pick you both off of the ground before he let you go. You both stumbled as he put you down. Looking down at yourself, you saw that you now had some tomato sauce on your clothes. You also realized that that was the first time you had heard Papyrus laugh. The sound of it made you smile; you found yourself wanting to hear it again.

 

As you stepped inside of the house, you glanced over at Tuli and started laughing. When she gave you a look, you reached over and scraped some tomato sauce off of her face with your finger, showing it to her. She tried to scowl at you but you could tell that she was trying not to smile. Grinning, you lick off the sauce from your finger, your eyes widening from the flavor. It was actually quite good.

 

You follow Pap to the kitchen. You can hear noise coming from it but are unprepared for the sight that meets you. The first thing you notice is what looks like a buff, blue fish woman, who was also wearing an apron, with red sauce up to her elbows. She’s laughing almost maniacally as she encourages a smiling Frisk to continue turning up the heat on the gas stove. Flames were already getting quite high as they licked the bottom and sides of the pot of boiling water and spaghetti noodles. Your mouth drops open.

 

“NYEH! UNDYNE! FRISK! STOP TURNING UP THE HEAT, YOU’LL BURN THE HOUSE DOWN AND SANS WILL BE VERY CROSS! HE EXPENDED A LOT OF MAGIC INTO BUILDING THIS HOUSE AND I WILL NOT HAVE ONE OF THE FEW THINGS MY BROTHER HAS WORKED HARD ON REDUCED TO ASH!”

 

Papyrus quickly ran into the kitchen and pushed aside Frisk and the fish woman you assumed was Undyne so he could turn down the heat. Both human and monster pout at him.

 

“Aw come on Papyrus! The kid and I were just having a little fun, weren’t we punk?”

 

Frisk nodded their agreement.

 

“WE CAN STILL HAVE PLENTY OF FUN AND _NOT_ BURN THE HOUSE DOWN! WE HAVE GUESTS! DON’T YOU REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENED TO YOUR HOUSE BACK HOME UNDYNE?”

 

Undyne grumbled something about a freak accident and Papyrus ruining the fun. You can’t help an incredulous giggle from slipping out and all eyes turned to you.

 

“Who’re the new punks?”

 

“THESE ARE MY GUESTS AND NEW FRIENDS, ____ AND TULIANA! ___ IS THE HUMAN JOURNALIST THAT SANS SPOKE OF!”

 

“More like you couldn’t stop speaking of.” Undyne walked up to you and stuck out her sauce covered hand for you to shake. Thinking that you’d rather get sauce all over your hand than risk insulting her, you take her hand in your own and try to keep a yelp from escaping your lips as her strong grip just about crushed your hand.

 

“Name’s Undyne. From the way Paps here has spoken about you, you must be alright. It’s good to finally meet another friendly human.”

 

“It’s great to meet you too,” you manage to squeak out through the pain. When she finally lets go, you move your fingers, which are now dripping with sauce, slowly to ensure that you still have use of them.

 

She moves on to Tuli and you see the same reaction reflected in her eyes and are glad that it’s not just you. Sharing a smile of hello with Frisk, you walk to the kitchen sink to wash off your hands. Behind you, Papyrus is grumbling over the pot of noodles.

 

“BECAUSE YOU SPED UP THE COOKING PROCESS SO MUCH, I CANNOT TELL HOW READY THE SPAGHETTI NOODLES ARE UNDYNE!”

 

Walking up to him, you ask, “May I? I know a fun little trick.”

 

He nods at you and you use the ladle to bring out some noodles. Picking one, you face the wall and fling the noodle at it. Seeing it stick, you smile and say, “They’re ready!”

 

Everyone is still laughing when a soft voice says, “What is all that noise? I hope you three aren’t being too hazardous with your cooking, Frisk _is_ still just a child you kn- oh! Why didn’t anybody tell me that our guests had arrived?”

 

Looking behind you, you see the famous Goat Mom coming around the corner of the hallway. Though she was one of the bigger monsters you had seen so far, she was far from imposing. Just looking at her, you see the love and kindness of a mother.

 

“FEMALE ASGO- I MEAN TORIEL! I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT CALLING YOU SOONER! ____ AND HER FRIEND HAVE JUST ARRIVED AND WERE ASSISTING US IN DETERMINING IF DINNER WAS READY!”

 

Stepping forward yourself this time, you greet Toriel.

 

“Why hello my child. Welcome to our home. I hope these three haven’t overwhelmed you,” she said, taking both of your hands in her fluffy paws.

 

You smile widely and assure her that they haven’t. You feel something warm blossom in your chest as her soft, kind voice washes over you. How anyone could possibly think that she wasn’t fit to raise Frisk was beyond you. This “monster” seemed to hold more love and gentleness than many humans you’d met. As she turned to Tuli, you saw that Toriel had much of the same effect on her.

 

“Tori, where’s my awesome, nerdy Alphys?” asked Undyne.

 

Looking around, Toriel said, “Why, I thought she was right behind me. Alphys, dear? Aren’t you going to say hello?”

 

A small, yellow head poked around the corner of the hallway, soon followed by the body of a small, yellow dinosaur in a white lab coat. A rather nervous looking dinosaur. “H-hello.”

 

“Hello Alphys, I’m ____. Nice to meet you,” you say gently.

 

“N-nice t-to m-meet you too.”

 

Undyne immediately came around the counter and gave Alphys a huge kiss on her head. This caused her to blush and get even more flustered. You smiled at the cute scene.

 

“So Papyrus, is dinner ready?” asked Toriel.

 

“WHY YES! ___’S AMUSING TRICK HAS TOLD US THAT THE NOODLES ARE READY AND THE SAUCE IS AS WELL! DINNER CAN BE SERVED!”

 

You frowned, suddenly realizing someone was missing. “Where’s Sans?”

* * *

 

It turned out that Sans had had to work late tonight. He apparently had multiple jobs that tended to make him work overtime. When you asked Papyrus if he had been able to find a job, he had said that he had not yet been able to find a job that he liked. He had been spending his days helping Toriel take care of Frisk.

 

As everybody sat down to eat, you found yourself easily lost in conversation once again. Even Tuli spoke, though not much. You sat between her and Papyrus, whom you spoke the most with, laughing easily with him. However, you also made sure to speak to everyone at the table. You were fascinated with their stories of the Underground. Even Frisk was active in the conversation, though they still continued to sign rather than speak.

 

You found out about how they had found their way to the top of Mount Ebott as well as some of their adventures Underground, many of which you found hard to believe. And you could tell that there were things that they were keeping out. When asked how old they were, they responded that they were 13; older than you had originally thought but still quite young for them to have experienced and been through so much.

 

You learned about Toriel, Undyne, and Alphys as well, hanging onto every word. This was like a dream come true! It was actually giving you an idea, one that might help others see them as you did.

 

At some point, dessert was handed out. It was a butterscotch and cinnamon pie that Toriel had made, apparently a favorite with everyone here. As soon as you had one bite, you could tell why. The drinks you’d brought seemed to be popular as well, though Toriel refrained from drinking and of course Frisk was underage. Papyrus especially seemed to like them; before anyone could stop him, he’d had four in a row. However, they didn’t seem to affect him much. You didn’t even think that he knew it was alcohol.

 

Undyne was talking about her time as captain of the Royal Guard and bragging a little about her combat skills when Tuli cut in suddenly.

 

“You know, ____ has some fighting experience herself.”

 

Your eyes widen and you go to deny the claim but Undyne has latched onto this little tidbit.

 

“Really?! You know how to fight?”

 

“Well I, uh…”

 

“Are you kidding? She has done martial arts most of her life. She was one of the top in her class and was one of the quickest to rank up. What dan are you now, ____? You must have ranked by one or two since last I saw you.”

 

“Wow, I would have never guessed! You have to show me what you’ve got punk!”

 

Everyone is staring at you and you feel your face warm. “I, ah, yes I was in martial arts most of my life. And I reached black belt 3rd dan before I stopped.”

 

Tuli frowned at you. “Stopped? When and why did you stop? You love martial arts.”

 

Looking her straight in the eyes, you say, “I stopped about two years ago. My heart just wasn’t in it anymore, I guess.”

 

Her eyes widened as she connected the dots. She looked away from you, no longer able to meet your eyes.

 

A small voice inside you urged you to press the issue and make her realize how much she’d hurt you, but you controlled yourself, knowing that it wasn’t appropriate here. You still couldn’t help feeling strangely angry though.

 

The monsters and Frisk looked between the two of you for a moment, seemingly at a loss for what to say. Finally, Undyne spoke up.

 

“Well, I still want to see what you got. You should come do a training session with me and Papyrus.”

 

“Um, sure. I'm a little out of practice and shape but I’ll come over. Just let me know when and I’ll see if I can make it.”

 

After that, the conversation continued normally, though Tuli was even quieter than before. Before you knew it, it was nearly nine o’clock. There was a knock on the door and you wondered if Sans had finally made it home, though you weren’t sure why he’d be knocking on his own door. As Frisk went to answer the door, you saw that it wasn’t Sans but a child, the first monster child that you’d seen. They were wearing a yellow striped shirt, had no arms, and a tail with ridges like a dinosaur going down their back. You noticed that they seemed to have two black eyes and frowned, wondering where they could have gotten those from. However, you are distracted from this as you notice the kid bouncing up and down excitedly.

 

“Yo Frisk! The sun has set and the stars are finally out again! A bunch of people are coming out to look at them! You all should come out too!”

 

With that, they turn around and start running back towards the open fields by the neighborhood. As they run off, they trip and fall on their face, quickly getting back up and continuing on their way. Well, at least now you knew they didn’t get those black eyes from getting beat up.

 

Frisk turned toward their mom excitedly, signing, **“Can we go Mom?”**

 

Toriel smiled her assent and Frisk quickly ran into their room to grab a blanket and ran back out after the monster kid. Everyone else got up to put their plates in the sink and then followed Frisk out, you and Tuli trailing behind them. Though the adult monsters were walking out at a much more reasonable pace than the children had been, you could tell that they were also excited. It took you a moment for you to realize why they would be so excited about the stars. And then it dawned on you.

 

“There are no stars Underground.”

 

Tuli looked over at you, frowning in confusion. “Huh?”

 

You looked up at the sky above, seeing the stars wink back at you. This far away from the bright lights of the city, you were able to see more stars than usual. Looking back at Tuli, you repeat, “There are no stars Underground.” Feeling an itching sensation behind your eyes, you add, “Most of them had probably never seen a star before coming to the surface. All they had to look up at was the dark ceiling of the Underground. Can you imagine? Living in darkness your whole life and then coming up to see something as beautiful as the stars above you for the first time. Most of us humans don’t even bother to look up at them anymore and they’ve probably come out here almost every night since returning just to make sure they’re still there.” You feel a tear slip out. Embarrassed, you wipe at it quickly.

 

Tuli is staring at you in shock, her mouth open. Looking over at the monsters walking in front of you and then up at the sky, you can see her face soften. When she lowers her head to meet your eyes again, you can see that her’s are also glistening with tears, her face turning a little red from the effort of trying to hold them back. She gives you small smile and you both continue to trail behind  your new friends.

 

Reaching the field where everyone was gathering, you sit down next to Papyrus. He looks over at you. Noticing your still-glistening eyes shining through the darkness, he frowns a little with concern.

 

“____, are you ok? Why are you crying?”

 

Papyrus talking quietly takes you off guard almost as much as his usual booming voice had when you’d met him the day before. You blinked, unable to believe that you’d only known this sweet skeleton for a day. Unfortunately, blinking caused some of the tears to fall and you smiled wetly at Papyrus.

 

“I guess it just made me a little sad to realize that all of you have lived so long without being allowed the beauty of something like the stars. We humans don’t realize how lucky we are.”

 

Papyrus smiled gently at you. Reaching up a hand, he wiped some the tears from your face. He had taken off his red gloves and you marveled at how smooth his finger bones were, closing your eyes at his touch. You felt a strange quivering sensation within you.

 

When you opened your eyes, you saw Papyrus looking directly at you, still smiling.

 

“Do not weep for us, human. We were not so unhappy in the Underground. And the important thing is that we are able to see the beauty that is the stars now.”

 

Sniffling a little, you nod. When you find your voice again, you start telling Papyrus about the different constellations in the sky and the stories behind them. As you point out where the constellations are, he stares up in awe. And though you are talking primarily to him, you can tell that many of the surrounding monsters within earshot are listening as well. Many have turned to face you and you raise your voice so that they could hear you better. Though you normally didn’t like talking to so many people at once, you found that your usual nervousness was gone. Even Tuli was listening intently.

 

Papyrus went to lean back on his hands as he continued to listen, his fingers accidentally brushing against your own. You feel that quivering sensation again and your voice trails off a little as you’re momentarily distracted.

 

Before you can gather yourself enough to continue, you hear a voice behind you, causing you to jump and Tuli’s head to snap around.

  
“I see y’all started the party without me; don’t stop the starry-telling on my account.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for that horrible pun by the way. I seriously suck at them and couldn't think of anything better.


	7. A Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Sans shows up, you have to stop Tuliana from doing something stupid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uuuugh. Finally. I don't know why this chapter took me so long, but here it is. I'm honestly not fond of it but hopefully the next chapters will come out better now that I made it past this bump and can start getting to where I want to. I'm sorry for such a late update and a less than stellar one at that.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.

_Tuliana jumped to her feet at the sight of the skeleton. She berated herself mentally for letting her guard down. She had actually started to feel comfortable around the monsters, allowing herself to see them the way you did. For the first time in years, her thoughts of revenge were pushed to the back of her mind and she had actually begun to_ enjoy _herself, getting lost in your story telling._

 

_The only thing that had really bothered her since arriving was when you’d implied that you’d quit one of your passions because of her, as well as your interactions with the tall skeleton Papyrus. You seemed rather comfortable with him and it caused her to feel a strange contraction in her chest. She shook her head in an attempt to clear her thoughts._

 

_Seeing the skeleton before her brought her focus back completely. Her vision darkened, narrowing so that all she could see was him. Him and his stupid grin. Him and his stupid hoodie. She noticed again that he looked quite different than when she had seen him on that night; he even sounded different. But she still knew without a doubt that it was him._ _ An inner voice urged her to take her revenge, to finally end it here.  _

 

_Gripping her pendant tight, she drew its power into her, preparing and strengthening herself for the upcoming Fight. She could feel her own Soul rising to the surface. Tonight, she would finally have her revenge. Tonight, she would either Kill or be Killed._

* * *

You watched Tuliana jump to her feet and grip her pendant. She had a look of determination on her face as she glared at Sans and you weren’t sure if you were imagining it, but a yellow glow seemed to be emanating from her. You immediately got to your own feet and just as she went to take a step forward, grabbed the hand holding onto the pendant and spun her around look at you.

 

“ _What the hell do you think you’re doing?_ ” she hissed at you, just low enough so that only you could hear. You noticed something strange with her voice; it almost sounded like it wasn’t just her talking. You knew you had to be imagining that.

 

“ _I could ask you the same question!_ ” you hissed back.

 

“ _Stay out of this ____._ ”

 

“ _No. I won’t!_ ” You tighten your grip on her wrist, ready to throw her to the ground if you really needed to, though you hoped it didn’t come to that.

 

Hearing someone clear their throat behind you, you both turn to look at the crowd of monsters currently staring at you. Papyrus had stood up and Sans’ eye sockets were squinted at the two of you. He seemed to be looking specifically at the golden heart around Tuli’s neck, a blue glow beginning to show in his left eye. Something told you that wasn’t a good sign.

 

“IS EVERYTHING OKAY HUMANS?” asked Papyrus, his voice back to its normal volume.

 

Before you can go to answer, Frisk suddenly came out of the darkness, running at Sans full sprint and laughing. Gaping, you watch as they leap into the air, straight into his arms. Momentarily distracted, Sans caught them, his grin becoming wider and small stars appearing in his eyes.

 

“Hiya there kiddo. Ya miss me?”

 

You saw that Frisk’s sudden appearance seemed to bring Tuli back to reality. Taking advantage of this, you say to Papyrus, “I think it might be time for us to go. We have a long drive home.”

 

“OH...VERY WELL ____. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL ESCORT YOU BACK TO OUR HOME THEN!”

 

You want to tell him that he doesn’t need to do that but then you remember that you left some of your things in his house. Sighing, you smile at him and say, “Thank you Papyrus. I’m sorry for leaving so suddenly.”

 

“NOT TO WORRY HUMAN! I BECAME SO ENRAPTURED IN YOUR STORY TELLING OF THE STARS THAT I LOST TRACK OF TIME!”

 

Keeping your smile plastered on your face, you start walking towards the houses, pulling Tuli along with you. Looking over your shoulder at the monsters still staring after you, you say, “Bye everyone! I hope I see some of you around!” in an effort to relieve some of the tension. You see some wave at you, though a few are still giving you strange looks. Sans especially is watching you intently as you leave.

 

As you continue to walk, Tuli tries to pull her hand out of your grip but you just respond by tightening it. Papyrus looks down and notices you holding onto her. Tilting his head, he asked, “IS IT CUSTOMARY FOR HUMANS TO HOLD HANDS LIKE THAT? I DID NOTICE YOU HOLDING ONTO MINE RATHER TIGHTLY YESTERDAY, THOUGH WE HAD JUST MET.”

 

You blink, unsure how to respond. Both instances in which Papyrus had seen you holding hands had been in rather tense situations. Because of his tendency to be a little oblivious to such things, you weren’t sure how to explain this, especially in a way that wouldn’t reveal why you were holding on so tightly to Tuli.

 

Deciding to explain the more traditional reason, you say, “I, um, suppose it is pretty common. We hold hands with people we’re comfortable with: family, partners, sometimes friends. Not so different from why you hold hands, I’m sure.”

 

“HMMM. INDEED.” Papyrus frowned down at the ground for a moment, as if he was considering something. Then, his smile becoming wide, he came around to your other side and grabbed your free hand. Looking down at your now joined hands, your mouth flopped open and closed as you struggled with what to say, your face going warm for what felt like the umpteenth time that night.

 

“Um...Papyrus? What are you doing?”

 

“TAKING PART IN YOUR HAND-HOLDING CUSTOMS! YOU SAID THAT YOU SOMETIMES HOLD HANDS WITH FRIENDS AND WE ARE FRIENDS NOW, ARE WE NOT?”

 

You can’t help but chuckle a little. “Yes, of course we are Pap.”

 

Your smile becomes wider and more genuine as you see stars appear in his eye sockets as they had in his brother’s. But where Sans had had more cartoonish stars, Papyrus’ looked more like the ones in the sky, shining brighter and warmer. You found yourself wanting to make sure those stars never left his eyes.

 

Looking over at Tuli, you saw her frowning at you. You could see the anger in her eyes as she struggled to keep it under the surface. You could actually feel her shaking, as though she would explode at any moment. Sighing, you continue walking towards the house hand-in-hand with a skeleton and your best friend who felt more like a stranger.

 

Reaching the front door, you felt the warmth of Papyrus’ hand leave your own to open it. Once inside, you finally let go of Tuli’s, continuing to watch her as she went to grab her bag. Seeing you watching her, she asked sarcastically, “Can I at least go to the bathroom without a babysitter?,” gesturing towards the hallway.

 

You just scowled at her, your arms crossed. Turning towards Papyrus, she asked where the bathroom was and then proceeded to practically stomp down the hallway. However, only a moment passed before you suddenly heard a shriek coming from down the hall. Without thinking, you take off after her.

* * *

 

_Tuliana was holding her heart. She had been so angry that she hadn’t actually been paying attention to where she was going and had opened the wrong door. She hadn’t even taken two steps inside and registered that she’d opened a bedroom door before she suddenly had something hissing in her face. Jumping back, it took her brain to register that the thing hissing was a potted flower with a demon-like face, fangs bared. That was when she had let out the shriek._

 

_Hearing your footsteps rushing from behind her, she blinked. As she did, the demon flower reared its head back and spoke in a tone that did not match its menacing demeanor, a demented grin forming on its face._

 

_“Howdy, I’m Flowey.”_

* * *

 

You reached Tuli in time to hear the flower introduce itself. Seeing you approach, it bared its fangs again.

 

“What are you doing here humans? No longer satisfied with persecuting us from the safety of your city? Want to bring it to us now? I’ll show you how big of a mistake that is.”

 

Making himself tall on his flower stalk, the air around Flowey began to shimmer. Tuli grabbed your arm, shoving you behind her and grabbing ahold of her pendant, glaring at the flower. As she did this, his eyes fixed on the pendant and he seemed suddenly distracted, a his eyes widening. Shrinking back down, his face turned to from it’s demonic form to look significantly less scary, almost cute.

 

Still staring at the pendant, he said, “Interesting. Now how is _that_ possible, especially up here?”

 

You frowned but before you could inquire further, Papyrus suddenly came around the corner, a spray bottle in his hand and yelling, “WORRY NOT HUMANS, I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, SHALL SAVE YOU!”

 

Flowey sighed, rolling his eyes with annoyance.

* * *

 

Driving in silence once again, your mind raced with the events of the night. After fending off Papyrus and assuring him that it had all been a misunderstanding, you had grabbed Tuliana again and quickly made your way out of the house, Flowey staring after you intently. However, before you got in your car, Papyrus had grabbed your hand again and insisted that you join him and Undyne for their training session on Monday.

 

“Um, I work on Monday Pap,” you’d answered.

 

Seeing the look of disappointment on his face, you quickly told him that maybe you could workout for a little while during your lunch break. This quickly caused his grin to widen again and he had let out a happy, “NYEH HEH HEH,” and run off exclaiming that he had to tell Undyne immediately,

 

Smiling to yourself, you had gotten into your car and started making your way home. And now you were almost there and neither you nor Tuli had said a word to each other. You had a million questions in your head but didn’t want to ask in the car on the chance that she’d explode right there. She didn’t exactly seem inclined to talk as she continued to fume in the passenger seat.

 

Finally, you reached your apartment building. Once inside, you watched Tuli start to make her way to her room and you couldn’t contain it anymore.

 

“Are you seriously not going to tell me what the hell just happened back there?” you just about yelled.

 

Spinning around with a wild light in her eyes, Tuliana responded, “ _Nothing!_ Nothing happened ____! You made damn well sure of that!”

 

“And what exactly did I stop from happening? Because it looked like you were about to attack Sans!”

 

“What does it matter to you? I told you to stay out of it!”

 

“And I told you that I wouldn’t! I will not let you break the small semblance of peace we have with the monsters just so you can take vengeance for something that’s impossible!”

 

Tuliana drew back in shock and then her eyes narrowed. “You know.”

 

“All I know is that after Arthur died, you were babbling about some skeletal monster attacking you. I also know that that was two years before the barrier was broken so there’s no way Sans could have done it!”

 

“You have no idea what you’re talking about. You weren’t there,” she snarled.

 

“You’re right, I wasn’t. But let me ask you something. What makes you so sure that you could beat Sans? He’s a monster, likely able to use magic. What chance could you possibly stand?”

 

“That’s a chance I’m willing to take.”

 

“Well, it’s not one that _I’m_ willing to take, especially for something I’m still convinced is impossible. Forget the peace. I just got you back. I will not lose you for something as petty as revenge!”

 

This really seemed to take Tuliana by surprise. This was evidently not what she had been expecting.

 

“You can build a life here again Tuliana! You can be my best friend again!” You felt tears pricking at your eyes.

 

“____…” She seemed at a loss for words.

 

“No! Promise me Tuliana! Promise me that you won’t go after him! At least not until we know more. If we find that he is the one responsible, then we can take justice. But your plan for revenge is just plain stupid! Whether you succeeded or not, you don’t know what could happen to you. So promise me!”

 

Her shoulders slumped.“I….I promise.” But then she stood tall again and you saw her eyes harden, that yellow glimmer from before seeming to shine from her eyes. “But as soon as I can prove that he was the one who did it, I assure you: _he’s mine_.”

* * *

 

Sans lay awake in his bed, thinking hard about your friend, whose name was told to him by Papyrus. He couldn’t make sense of it. It shouldn’t be possible. But it had shown clearly as she stood there, ready to Fight. That yellow glimmer had given her away. But how? Not only did she know how to Fight, something that few humans had ever learned to do, but she seemed to be channeling some kind of power.

 

_ She can’t be trusted. _ The thought came as if from somewhere else but he still latched onto it. 

 

Finally, he couldn’t stay still anymore. Prying Frisk’s arms from around him, he got up and left his room, walking aimlessly down the hall. He’s stopped by a loud, “Psst!” coming from Frisk’s room.

 

Confused, he stopped and listened. Just as he thought that he had imagined the sound, he heard, “Hey! Trashbag! Get your ass in here!”

 

Sighing and making a motion like he was rolling his nonexistent eyeballs, he opened Frisk’s door to see Flowey glowering at him from atop his perch on the small bookshelf.

 

“What do you want, weed?”

 

“Did you see it too?”

 

“See what?”

 

“The soul, you idiot!” the flower hissed. “That human had a second soul around their neck! And they looked like they knew how to use it.”

 

Sans eye sockets widened. So he hadn’t been imagining it. The human, Tuliana, had managed to contain a soul and carry it around. But how?


	8. Ideas and Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After working for the rest of the weekend, you present a new idea to the paper that you think will help the monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter came much more easily, thank goodness. It felt good to be able to actually sit and write. 
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.

_ Tuli didn’t see much of you for the rest of the weekend. After you had finished yelling at her Saturday night, you had gone into your room and only come out to grab food. The few times that she did see you, you had refused to look or speak to her; clearly, you were still angry.  _

 

_ She still couldn’t believe how you had exploded at her the night before. She hadn’t realized that you still cared for her so much. Though she knew of how far your affections had once gone, she had thought that after her little disappearing act, much of that would be gone. She had already been quite surprised by how far you had gone to help her so far. But the look in your eyes as you made her promise not to go after the skeleton had shown her how sincere you were in your fear of losing her again.  _

 

_ And it was that look that had led her to make the promise. As she fingered her pendant, she already regretted that promise. Despite your insistence that it was impossible for the skeleton to have killed Arthur, she knew it was him. That face, that stupid grin, was forever burned into her mind. But something else that you had said did stick with her that made her think that maybe the promise may be a good excuse to wait a little longer. _

 

_ She really didn’t know the capabilities of the skeleton. While she had been training hard, she had no way of knowing just how powerful he was. While she had seen his power on great display that night, he could have grown stronger since then. She had after all. So this would give her a chance to discover more about his strength and give her more time to train, as well as figure out an actual plan of attack. That was something else that you had been right about. The only thought that she had put into this was revenge; she hadn’t thought about the consequences that attacking the monster might bring. Despite her bravado, she actually didn’t want to die in this fight. She wanted to be able to enjoy her victory. She needed to find a way to Kill him without drawing too much attention to herself. _

 

_ For now, she decided to go out and train a little more. Going to the closet, where she had started unpacking and storing her things, she started picking through her workout clothes when she noticed something on the top rack that she hadn’t before. Standing on her toes so that she could see a little better, she saw what looked like a box in the corner. Frowning and her curiosity piqued, she grabbed the box and sat on the ground to look through it. The top was labeled with her name. _

 

_ Opening the box, the first thing she saw was a camera.  _ Her _ camera. As a teenager, she had gotten into photography; it had actually been something she was quite compassionate about. And she had almost completely forgotten about it. She must have left the camera at your house by accident before she left.  _

_ Lifting the camera out of the box, she saw a stack photos that had been printed out underneath it. Shuffling through them, she saw that almost all of them were of either you, her, Arthur, or a combination of the three. As she continued to look through them, a smile tugged at her mouth and tears pricked at her eyes as she saw how happy she had been. She came to one that was a selfie of you and her together. You were trying to hide from the camera by tucking your face in the nook of her shoulder but she could tell that you had actually been laughing, as had she. Now that she saw the picture, she could remember the day. There hadn’t really been anything special about it, just a day that the three of you had spent together. She felt a warm glow in her chest as she stared for a few moments longer, marveling at joy in both of your faces. Flipping to the last picture, she gasped and brought a hand to her mouth. _

 

_ The last picture was of her and Arthur kissing, the sunset perfectly caught in the background, silhouetting their bodies. You must have seen the opportunity and taken her camera to snap the shot. As she continued to stare at it, a tear slipped from her eye, a deep ache forming in her chest. But then that ache was replaced by the usual burning anger as she was reminded once again of what she had lost. Putting all the pictures back in the box, though leaving the camera out, she put both on the bed and proceeded to change into a set of workout clothes. _

 

_ After she had changed, she walked quickly out of the apartment, once again gripping tightly to her pendant. She now had some extra anger to burn off and knew the perfect way. Target practice. _

* * *

 

You woke up in your bed, notes sprawled everywhere and your laptop sitting by your side. Looking around groggily, you tried to figure out what had woken you up when the sound of your alarm suddenly registered. Picking your head up, you saw the lit up screen of your phone sitting on your nightstand and moaned as you realized that you had to move in order to get to it.

 

Pushing your computer aside, you rolled onto your stomach and picked up the phone to hit the snooze button. Squinting at the bright screen assaulting your eyes, you saw that it was seven a.m. Moaning again, you went to put the phone down and roll back over when you saw that it was also Monday morning. This caused you to shoot up, suddenly wide awake. 

 

You had spent the remainder of the weekend, virtually locked in your room, working. You had already written the crime beat story on the missing monsters; that had been done in just a few hours. Since Will was the only one on the case, you had decided to just call him in order to get his statements on the case rather than making your way all the way over to the station. 

 

You had spent the rest of yesterday working on the idea that had occurred to you while at the dinner party, doing more research and writing. You had been so excited about it that you had actually already written a whole article. You were going to bring your idea forward at the staff meeting today at nine and hoped that this article was the first of many. 

 

Now that you were wide awake and eager to get to work, you jumped out of bed and started getting ready. After you’d showered and gotten dressed, you quickly turned your computer back on and sent both articles to the printer in your living room. When you were done with this, you suddenly remembered that you’d agreed to meet Papyrus and Undyne for a training session during lunch today. Papyrus had actually called you yesterday to set up a time and place. You went to pack some workout clothes in your old gym bag that you hadn’t used in years. Then, packing the computer in your bag and all of your notes into a folder, you made your way out of your room to grab some breakfast. 

 

As you came out, you stopped in your tracks when you saw Tuli standing at the counter, playing with something in her hands. Looking down, your eyes widened when you saw that it was her old camera. The camera had been among her things when she had gone on the trip with Arthur and a lot of those things had been given to you when Tuli was still in the hospital. As she had disappeared right after that, you had never had the chance to give the camera back, so had packed it into a box with a bunch of pictures that you had printed out before the trip and put it away. You had forgotten about it until then.

 

Noticing where your eyes had fallen, Tuli held up the camera and said, “Found this old thing in my closet. The memory chip seems to be missing but other than that it still seems to be in working order. The battery wasn’t even completely dead, though I will have to find a way to recharge it or maybe get a new one.”

 

Unsure of what to say, you just nodded and walked over to the printer to grab the several sheets of paper and put them in your folder. As you were doing this, Tuli spoke again.

 

“You know, it actually gave me an idea.”

 

“Oh yeah, what’s that?” you ask, still not facing her.

 

“Maybe I can try to find a job as a photographer. Would probably pay better than if I got a job as a waitress.”

 

“Yeah, probably.”

 

“I was actually hoping that you could help hook me up with a job at the paper.”

 

That got you to turn around. “What?”

Seeing the look on your face, she said quickly, “Not a permanent one. Just a few freelance assignments so I start getting my name out there and hopefully make some money in the process. Of course, if you’d rather I didn’t, I can—”

 

“No, it’s fine. You can come into work with me today and talk to our photography editor if you’d like.” You weren’t sure if it was wise to encourage Tuli to work at the same place as you, especially if your idea was accepted. But the fact that she was actually trying to get a job and pursue something that she had once loved gave you hope that she was actually going to try and make a life here again. 

 

The smile that came to her face only asserted that hope. “Really? Thank you so much!”

 

Returning the smile, you replied, “Don’t thank me yet; I’m not the one who can give you the job. Now go get ready. There’s a staff meeting at nine and I don’t want to be late.”

 

Your smile widened as she practically ran to her room. 

* * *

 

You were sitting in the conference room, your leg bouncing up and down impatiently as you listened to the editors at the table discuss assignments and marketing. You had left Tuliana at your desk, telling her that you’d send the photography editor her way as soon as the meeting was over. Now you were waiting for that to happen; as a reporter, all you really did in the meeting was listen, though your opinion was often asked or you were asked if you were able to take on an assignment. As you were technically not supposed to be taking on anymore stories at the moment, you had been left pretty much alone, which made you antsy. 

 

Finally, it was time to present ideas. Reporters presented their ideas directly to the editors after the meeting was over, so that they could further discuss them during the editors’ meeting that immediately followed. And since you thought it might be a good idea to keep this story on the down-low, you wanted to go last so the other reporters were out of the room when you presented your’s. The problem was that you were so eager to finally get it out that your patience was rather low at the moment. 

 

At last, it was your turn. Standing up, you stood at the head of the table and brought out your folder, taking out the multiple copies of the article you’d written, as well as the many notes you had taken for future stories. 

 

Facing the editors, you spoke.

 

“I would like to propose a new column for the paper. As some of you may know, I was assigned the story on the missing monsters case last week. While doing my research for the story, it stuck out to me just how much we don’t know about the monsters. Many people are afraid of them but only because they don’t understand them. All television media has shown them in a fearful light, telling viewers to be cautious of them, reminding them of a war that happened decades ago and that wasn’t even their fault.”

 

You could tell that you had their attention and you smiled a little as you continued.

 

“This past weekend, I was able to spend some time with the monsters. I was invited to dinner by the brother of my contact for the missing monsters story. And what I found there wasn’t something to be feared but admired. These monsters have had to struggle from the moment they reached the surface and yet they are able to find joy in each other and beauty in things as simple as the stars. In this column, I would want to do a highlight on a specific monster or some aspect of their lives every issue in order to help people see them the way I was able to.”

 

Leaning forward in his seat, the editor-in-chief asked, “How soon were you hoping to start writing this column?”

 

“Immediately, if possible.”

 

The eyes of everyone at the table widened. This time Tom spoke up. “How do you plan on doing that? You still have the missing monsters story and I told you not to take on anything more while you were assigned to it.”

 

Reaching into your folder again, you took out the article on the missing monsters and slid across to Tom. “I already finished it this weekend. There was so little information that I really didn’t have to do much digging. You will notice that I touch on that a little in the article. It’s another thing that I’m hoping this column to help with: for humans to stop viewing monsters as creatures who don’t deserve to be treated fairly. The lack of effort being put forth by the police in search of the missing monsters is horrible.”

 

Tom read quickly through your article and he looked up at you in awe. “This is probably one of the best articles you’ve ever written.”

 

You felt your cheeks warm and you ducked your head in thanks. 

 

“Do you have a topic in mind for the first column?” asked another editor.

 

Smiling again, you picked up the copies of your second article and passed them around. There was a few moments of silence as everyone read through it, though you noticed a couple of the editors refused to even look at it, instead glaring at you angrily. You met their gazes calmly, even daring to smile at them a little. When those reading had all finished, a few of them had tears in their eyes. 

 

“I take it back,” said Tom, his voice thick. “This is your best article.” Several people nodded in agreement. Those who had abstained from reading glowered even more.

 

The editor-in-chief looked around at the other editors, getting nods from most of them. Seeming satisfied, he looked back at you and said, “Very well, we will give this column a try. We will run a few articles and see how the response is. If it does well, we will talk about making it a more permanent thing.”

 

You grinned widely, struggling to keep yourself from literally jumping with joy. Before you could go to thank him however, the chief cut in again, “However, I think it may be best for you to write this column under a pseudonym.”

 

This caused you to frown slightly. “Why is that?”

 

“Because as you said, many people are afraid of the monsters. There have been protests and even some acts of violence, these monsters that have been going missing only the newest. Many of these people will be angry that someone is defending the monsters and trying to make them seem more as they are, because some people are too set in their ways and misguided beliefs to see the truth. And there is only so much one column can do to erode decades of fear and hate. I want you to write under a pseudonym in order to protect you.”

 

Understanding dawned on you. “You think people might come after me.”

 

The chief shook his head. “I know they will.”

* * *

 

After the meeting was over and you had sent Tuli off to talk with the photography editor, you sat at your desk, thinking over what the chief had said. You hadn’t really thought about the consequences writing your column might have. You had just been so excited about the idea and that it might help the monsters. Now that the chief had brought this to your attention, you thought that maybe it was a good thing that you were having this training session with Undyne. Not only was it a perfect topic for the column but it would be a good way to freshen up on your fighting skills and get into shape in case you needed to defend yourself in the near future.

 

Checking your watch, you saw that it was actually already almost time to go meet them. You went to go change and when you came back, you saw Tuli sitting back at your desk, swiveling back and forth in the chair. Noticing your change of clothes, she raised an eyebrow at you and asked. “Going for a workout?”

 

“Oh, I, um, yeah, kind of. I’m going to meet Papyrus and Undyne for their training session. Remember Undyne saying she ‘wanted to see what I got.’”

 

Tuli’s eyes widened. “And you’re actually going to go? Are you insane?”

 

Frowning at her, you said, “No. It’s just a little training session, no big deal. Need I remind that you’re the one who got me into this, what with your bragging about my awesome skills in martial arts.”

 

“You’re blaming me for this?”

 

“Ugh, no, I’m just trying to say it’s not like it was my idea.”

 

Tuli huffed angrily and stood up, grabbing her bag.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

She looked at you like you were stupid. “With you of course. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you go see a couple of monsters on your own.”

 

Throwing your hands into the air, you said, “They’re not going to hurt me Tuliana. They’re good people who are just looking for a way to bond and find something in common with a human. They haven’t exactly had the best luck with that, you know?”

 

“I’m still not letting you go alone. Whether they plan on harming you or not, you are still going to spar with them and there is still a possibility that you might get hurt. Therefore, you should have someone there with you.”

 

You go to protest again but she just held up her hand, stopping you. “Please ____. It’ll make me feel better.”

 

Sighing, you nod and lean down to grab your gym bag; you weren’t about to admit this to her but you were actually a little touched that she was so worried about you. The two of you walk out together, heading to your car. Reaching it, you throw your bag in and take out your phone to text Pap that you’re on your way. 

 

After you’ve already sent the message and you’re about to climb into the car, your phone starts to ring. Looking at the caller ID, you see that it’s Sans and answer. 

 

“Hey Sans.”

 

“____.” He practically growled your name and you blink in surprise at how angry he sounded.

 

“Sans? Are you okay?”

  
“No, I am not okay. Another monster went missing last night.”


	9. Training Session

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans pisses you off a little and you have the training session

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been a couple days. I sat down to write later than usual yesterday and I couldn't really get to it today until just a few hours ago. Hope you like it.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.

Sans was trying to control himself. That morning, Monster Kid had come running to his door to tell him his dad had never come home last night. He had left immediately to go search for him, telling everyone at home that he had to go to work early. He didn’t want to worry them until he knew for sure that Monster Kid’s dad was missing. And now it was nearly noon and he still had found no trace of him.

 

All morning, a suspicion had been nagging at him but he had continued to push it to the back of his mind. But now that he had come up short on answers once again, it came to the forefront. The thought had made him so angry that he had called you without really thinking about how tactless it was. 

 

“Hey Sans.”

 

“____,” he growled into the phone.

 

“Sans? Are you okay?” He could hear the confusion and concern in your voice but his anger refused to relent.

 

“No, I am not okay. Another monster went missing last night.” In his effort to control himself, his voice came out lower than he meant it to, still on the verge of a growl. 

 

He heard you gasp on the other end of the line. “Are you serious? When? Have you told the police? Who am I kidding, the police are fucking useless. Who was it?” You seemed to not take a breath through your whole line of questioning. 

 

It took Sans by surprise how concerned you actually seemed to be. He had felt that you were a decent person from the moment he met you but he hadn’t thought that you cared this much. Why should you? You barely knew any of them.

 

Shaking his head, Sans reminded himself why he had called in the first place. 

 

“It doesn’t matter who it was, I’m calling you beca—”

 

“What do you mean it doesn’t matter? Of course it matters! What if it was—”

 

“____! It doesn’t matter because that’s not why I called you. Where was your friend last night?”

 

“Huh? Tuliana? How is that relevant?” The line went quiet for a moment and you seemed to process it.

“Wait. Are you accusing Tuliana for the missing monsters?” You now sounded a little angry yourself.

 

Sans sighed. “Think about it ____. The monsters who had been going missing before were outside of the city. And then, she shows up and they’re suddenly going missing here too. And don’t think I didn’t notice what nearly happened Saturday night. I know the beginning of a Fight when I see one.”

 

“Why, I nev- How dare you?!” you sputtered. “While I won’t deny that she did nearly do something extremely stupid the other night, Tuliana is not a kidnapper or a murderer!”

 

“Are you sure about that? How well do you really know her?”

 

“I’ll have you know that we’ve known each other practically our whole lives! I probably know her better than anyone!”

 

“Do you know where she might have gotten that second human Soul hanging around her neck?”

 

“Second human  _ what? _ ”

 

“Soul. She has a human soul hanging around her neck and she looked like she knew how to bloody well use it.”

 

“I don’t have a fucking clue what you’re talking about Sans. And until you find proof that she’s responsible for the disappearances,  _ which you won’t _ , I suggest you don’t bring it up again!”

 

And with that, you hung up, not giving him a chance to try and get another word in. Staring incredulously at his phone, he shook his head. While he believed that you really had no idea about the disappearances or about the soul that Tuliana currently had in her possession, he still wasn’t entirely convinced that she wasn’t responsible. 

 

But you were right. He needed proof. And he would start by investigating exactly where and how Tuliana had gotten that soul.

* * *

 

You were fuming. After hanging up on Sans, you had gotten into the car and started driving, muttering under your breath as you turned on the car and pulled out of the parking spot. Tuli, who had been in the car the entire time you were on the phone, watched you incredulously.

Tentatively, she asked, “Are you okay? Who was on the phone?”

 

“No one,” you barely manage not to snap. “Just some idiot who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.”

 

“Okay then…”

 

She leaves you alone after that. You find yourself arguing with yourself in your head. Because despite what you’d said to Sans, you had to admit that he had brought up some good points. But you refused to believe it. Wanting revenge for her husband’s death was one thing. Going out and pointlessly killing monsters was another. Tuli wasn’t a murderer. And what was that ridiculousness about her carrying around another human soul?

 

Frowning, you glance over at Tuli and the heart-shaped pendant hanging around her neck. You had noticed that she never took it off and always seemed to hang onto it, especially when she was angry… you shook your head violently. No. It was impossible. How could she have even gotten a human soul? 

 

Sighing, you try to calm yourself as you turn into the park entrance where you were meeting Undyne and Papyrus. You didn’t like how angry you’ve been getting lately and you didn’t want to go into a situation where you were going to be sparring without a level head. That’s how people get hurt.

 

Putting the car in park, you get out, grabbing your gym bag. Looking around, you spot Papyrus, Undyne, and Frisk by a bench, laughing together. They seemed to be taking little heed of the humans in the park openly staring at them. 

 

Calling out to them, you start walking over to the bench, Tuli marching along behind you. When the trio saw you, they all smiled wide and waved. Papyrus even walked up to you and gave you a hug, which took you by surprise, though you did reciprocate, laughing a little.

 

“Hey there Pap.” As you wrapped your arms around him, you were surprised to find that he felt quite solid. It got you wondering what he looked like under that shirt...you shake your head violently.

 

“HELLO ____! IT IS GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN!” Papyrus smiled warmly down at you. 

 

Smiling back at him, you said, “It’s good to see you too.”

 

He stared at you for a moment longer before looking behind you, seeming to notice Tuli for the first time. “AND TULIANA! WILL YOU BE PARTICIPATING IN TODAY’S TRAINING SESSION AS WELL?”

 

Tuli’s eyes flashed and you thought you saw her smirk a little before she held up her hands in mock horror. “Ah, no. I just wanted to come with ____ and watch.”

 

“OH GOOD! YOU CAN KEEP FRISK COMPANY!”

 

Looking over at Frisk, you ask, “You don’t want to learn? I wasn’t much younger than you when I started.”

 

Their face darkened and they signed, “ **Trust me, I know how to Fight. I just don’t like to.** ”

 

You blinked a little at how serious they’d become, wondering what could have happened to make them so against it.

 

Before you could inquire any further, Undyne jumped in. “So where are we doing this, punk? Papyrus said you knew a little spot that was more private.”

 

“Oh, yes! Follow me, it’s a bit of a walk.”

 

The monsters and Frisk grabbed their things and trailed behind you. You made your way to one of the running paths, peering closely at the surrounding trees as you walk along it. You were starting to get worried that the entrance was no longer visible when you spotted the small dirt trail. It was nearly invisible from lack of use but it was still there. Smiling, you head off the main trail and make your way to towards the trees.

 

You used to come this way all the time. You had become a little adventurous one day while here with your family and found it. As usual, your curiosity got the better of you and you had to go explore. You ended up disappearing for nearly half an hour; your parents had been worried sick. You sighed a little as you thought about your family and how close you used to be.

 

Finally, you broke through the trees and came to a small meadow enclosed by a copse of trees. There had once been a time that this had been your little secret, coming here when you wanted to be alone or just wanted a little quiet. You’d usually just read or practice while you were here.

 

You heard Tuli gasp beside you. “I haven’t thought about this place in ages.” You look over at her, smiling. Of course, you had had no secrets from your best friend; there had been several times when Tuli had found you here after a bad day.

 

“The place looks good, punk. Perfect for what we’ll be doing.”

 

Hearing laughter, you saw that Frisk had grabbed Papyrus’ hand and pulled him further into the meadow. Both skeleton and child were now rolling in the grass, enjoying the feel of it and the warmth of the sun. You grinned at the fun they were having.

 

Undyne scoffed a little. “Really Papyrus? We’re here to train, not frolick in the grass.”

 

“BUT IT’S SO MUCH FUN UNDYNE! YOU SHOULD TRY IT!” 

 

Undyne sighed in frustration. “I guess we’ll start with you and me, punk. Hopefully Papyrus will be done messing around when we’re done.”

 

You felt your heart rate quicken a little as you realized that you were about to spar Undyne but you just nodded at her. Putting your bag down, you started stretching a little.When you were done, you and Undyne ran through some warm-up exercises. As you started to feel the heat of the day, you peeled off your shirt so that you were just in your sports bra and running pants. 

 

Done with the warm-ups, Undyne asked if you were ready. You wanted to say no, you very much were not ready, especially as you got a full view of Undyne’s muscular arms but just nodded again. You hoped that muscle memory would kick in here. 

 

As you both faced each other, the other three took places at the edge of the meadow. You could see Tuli watching you closely but trained your focus back on Undyne, watching her closely and analyzing for any weaknesses. While you were out of shape and out of practice, you weren’t planning on going down easy.

 

Undyne was the first to move, coming at you lightning fast. You barely had enough time to bring your arms up to block the blow she had aimed at your stomach. Stepping out, you turned as you blocked so that the punch would just glance off you and her momentum would cause her to propel forward.

 

Swinging your back foot around so that you continued to face her, you brought it snapping up into a front turning kick as she turned around, catching her on her arm. Despite the fact that it didn’t seem to faze her much, you smiled a little that you managed to get in a hit.

 

As you continued to spar, you spent much of it dodging and weaving her blows, throwing small, quick attacks when you saw openings, using her weight against her. You found that you were enjoying yourself. Martial arts really had been something you loved and you realized now how much you’d missed it. You think a laugh might have even slipped out of you at one point. However, your lack of training soon came into play and you felt yourself tiring quickly. By the look on Undyne’s face, she saw it too and chose that moment to speed up her own attacks. Your blocks were becoming less and less effective as you continued to tire out. 

 

She tried to sweep you but you managed to jump back in time. Using your moment of respite, you tried to figure out how you could end this match quickly. Though you could tell that Undyne was largely holding back on her blows, you knew that your lack of endurance would cause you to lose the fight soon. And you didn’t like to lose. 

 

Smiling, Undyne started walking towards you, clearly confident of victory. It was here that you saw your opening. Straightening so that you were now in a walking stance, you started towards her as well. And just before the two of you collided, you brought your hands up so that your right slammed against her adjacent shoulder and your left brought the other closer to you, causing her to turn. Stepping behind her as you did this, your arms wrapped around her thick neck, your left hand tucked into the back of her head and your right wrapped into your left arm. Then, stepping back so that she was more at your level, you squeezed. 

 

Seeing that this was not having a large effect, you wrapped one leg around one of her’s, unbalancing her as you both fell towards the ground. This gave you the leverage you needed and she quickly tapped on your arm as your arms cut off the flow of air through her windpipe. As soon as you felt the tap, you let go and rolled away from her, panting. You heard as she took a large intake of breath and coughed. Pushing yourself up, you walked over to her to offer her a hand up. You couldn’t believe you’d won; seriously, what were the chances?

 

As Undyne accepted your hand up, you heard cheering coming from the edge of the meadow. Looking around, you saw the other three clapping and whistling. Both Papyrus and Frisk looked quite surprised and impressed. Tuli seemed relieved.

 

Once she’d stood up, rubbing her neck a little, Undyne said, “Not bad, punk. Nice little move at the end there. Mind teaching it to me?”

 

Grinning, you said, “Sure.”

 

The next hour was spent with you teaching both Undyne and Papyrus the chokehold, as well as Undyne showing you some moves. Though you found yourself a little reluctant to do the move on Pap, he picked up on it quickly. By the end of the session, you were dripping with sweat and in desperate need of a shower. You also couldn’t wait to get back to work and start your story. Which reminded you…

 

“Would you guys mind if I write about this for the paper? I’m trying to start a column on the monsters that I hope will help lessen people’s fear of you and I feel like this would make a great article.”

 

They blinked at you and you were afraid for a moment that they’d say no but then Undyne shrugged. “Fine with me. If you really think it’ll help.”

 

“Oh definitely! People love hearing about things like this and I feel that showing that we trained together and that you weren’t unnecessarily aggressive or anything will really help them see that you don’t need to be feared. At least, no more than anybody else.”

 

“WOWIE ____! YOU REALLY THINK YOU CAN HELP OTHER HUMANS TO NOT BE SO FEARFUL OF US?”

 

“I definitely hope so.”

 

As you reached into your gym bag for a bottle of water, another idea occurred to you. Turning back around to look at Undyne, you asked, “Hey, have you been able to find a job?”

 

She shrugged again, this time a little sheepishly. “I haven’t really been able to find anything to my liking. Plus, no one seems very willing to hire me.”

  
You considered for a moment and then asked, “Ever think about being a police officer?”


	10. Photoshoot

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a couple months, your column has taken off and life has begun improving for the monsters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally did it guys! I finally managed to sit down and write! I have had this in my head for days and so glad that I finally got it all down. Sorry for such a late update; two of my family members had birthdays last week and we went out of town to celebrate. I only got the chance to sit down and write last night. I was going to make this a longer than normal chapter but I had so much to write that I decided to just make it into two. So 2 chapters are going up tonight; I hope it makes up a little for going so long without posting. 
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated as always. :)

Walking down the street towards your car, you brought your towel up to your face to mop the sweat from your brow. You had just left the police station where Undyne had been giving a class; she had asked you to come to help with demonstrations since she already felt comfortable with you from all your training sessions together. Since being hired at the station and becoming the hand-to-hand combat instructor, she actually asked you to come by often.

 

You marveled at how time had flown. It had been two months since you had proposed the idea for the column and suggested to Undyne that she applied to become a police officer. After you had brought the idea to her, the two of you had gone to the station and talked to the chief. To your surprise, Will had pitched in his voice in support of allowing Undyne to join. The chief had agreed after some convincing and she had started her training. While she was technically still in training, her teachers had quickly noticed her physical prowess and advanced combat skills. Due to this, she had been hired as the hand-to-hand combat instructor as well and was loving it.

 

The two of you had also continued training together and you had begun your own workout routine. It wasn’t long before you had noticed the difference in your endurance and much of your old skill had returned. Tuli had been right; martial arts was really something that you had loved and that had persevered to now.

 

Of course, the public had not exactly been happy with the idea of a monster becoming a police officer, especially one that was training other officers. There had been quite an uproar that had been hard to keep from exploding out against the monsters and making life much worse for them. In fact, there had been several attempted attacks. But a big benefit to a monster being on the force was that the officers, many of whom had come to know and feel a kind of comradery with Undyne, were no longer so blind to slights against the monsters and acted upon it almost immediately.

 

And despite the initial uproar and the continued prejudice towards the monsters, your column had really taken off. It, along with several other articles that you had written, seemed to really have ignited action in the humans. It had actually gone further than you had originally hoped for. Funding had begun for the monsters; their homes were being improved and other buildings had begun construction.

 

Of course, while it was your writing that had begun the change, it wasn’t the only contributing factor anymore. Several forms of media had hopped on the “pro-monsters” bandwagon after public opinion had initially started improving. Your rolled your eyes at how quickly many had changed their tune to fit what the public wanted.

 

There had also been an increase in the effort in the investigation of the disappearing monsters. However, there had still been very little result. These missing monsters and the culprit behind the disappearances seemingly left no trace and many more had gone missing.

 

And there was still many who continued with their anti-monster campaign. Protests and occasional riots continued to break out all over; from outside government buildings, where the monsters’ king, Asgore, continued to fight for their equal rights, to outside places where they worked and even outside the neighborhood where they lived. There was still media that chose to keep with this line of reporting. In fact, you had been part of many headlines, in both sides of the media, as people continued to try and find out who the reporter was that was writing the articles that started it all. There had been much “hate mail” sent into the paper, causing security to be increased. Because of this, fear continued to run through the monster community

 

You sighed as you thought of your continued visits to the neighborhood outside the city and the sadness that had permeated the air as many mourned the loss of their family and friends. Sans had become particularly irritable; while he had not verbalized anymore accusations towards Tuli, you were able to see his suspicions in his eyes and sometimes struggled to keep yourself in check around him. Often, the only one able to keep you from exploding was Papyrus.

 

You smiled to yourself as you thought of the tall skeleton. The two of you had spent a lot of time together in the last couple of months. Either one of you would visit the other at their home or you would make time to go out together. Tuli had begun asking whether the two of you were dating, always seeming very against the idea. Though her continued bigotry and apparent disgust often got on your nerves, you assured her that you were not. However, you couldn’t deny that the two of you had grown close and that you often felt yourself drawn to Papyrus, craving his company. There had sometimes been moments where something had almost happened, from times when he would brush your hand with his to times when you had even almost…

 

You’re wrenched out of your thoughts and daydreaming when you suddenly hear your phone start to ring right as you reach your car. Fumbling through your bag for it, you finally manage to get it out. Seeing who the caller was, your face warms slightly and you quickly hit the answer key.

 

“Hey Pap.”

 

“____! HOW ARE YOU? DID YOUR ASSISTANCE TO UNDYNE GO WELL?”

 

Smiling in the way only the sound of his voice could make you smile, you answer, “It went great. I’m sure I’ll be quite sore tomorrow.” You said that part with a laugh. “I just got to my car and am gonna head to my house to take a much needed shower,” you added.

 

“WILL YOU STILL MAKE IT TO THE PHOTOSHOOT THIS AFTERNOON?”

 

Your eyes widened slightly as you were reminded of the photoshoot that some magazine had convinced Papyrus and Sans to do. Since the subject of monsters had taken a more positive tone in the media, it had become especially popular to cover the main group that had done much of the diplomacy since coming to the surface. They seemed most intrigued by the skeleton brothers and had come up with doing a whole issue about the monsters, featuring the skele-bros. Really, Sans was the only one who had needed convincing; being told that he was going to be paid for it had been the only factor to win him over.

 

“Oh...uh...of course Pap, wouldn’t miss it.”

 

“GREAT! WILL YOU ALSO BE ATTENDING THE OPENING TONIGHT?”

 

Now that was something you hadn’t forgotten about, especially since you were supposed to be covering it for the paper. “Definitely. I’m so excited that Grillby was finally able to open his new bar here!”

 

“AS ARE WE! ESPECIALLY MY BROTHER! HE HAS EVEN PROMISED TO DO A SONG WITH ME, AS IT IS KARAOKE NIGHT!”

 

Laughing, you responded, “I definitely can’t miss _that_.”

 

“I SHOULD CERTAINLY HOPE NOT; WE EVEN HAVE A SONG PICKED OUT ALREADY!”

 

“Sounds great Pap, can’t wait to see it. I’ll see you at the studio in a bit.”

 

“OKIE DOKIE ____! SEE YOU SOON!”

 

Smiling at the phrase that he’d picked up during his time up here, you hung up and got in your car. Luckily, you still had plenty of time to go home and take a shower. You hoped everything went well with the photoshoot. You were a little worried because you had also remembered that Tuli was one of the photographers.

* * *

 

You arrived at the studio about thirty minutes early. Grabbing your press pass so that they’d know you weren’t someone just trying to sneak in, you headed for the entrance to the building. After going through security, you were directed to the areas where the photoshoot would be taking place. Though you didn’t spot either Pap or Sans, you did see Tuliana doing checks with her equipment.

 

Through her freelance work for the paper, Tuli had quickly gained recognition throughout the town. Many media sources recognized her from work that she had done in the past. Within just a few weeks, she had gotten several internship and job offers. She had chosen to continue freelancing for the most part but had started gravitating towards this magazine more. You still weren’t sure, however, how or why she had been given this assignment.

 

Approaching her, she looked up to see you coming and smiled widely at you. You had noticed a change in her over the last couple months. While you still felt that she was holding things back from you and she still seemed determined to prove Sans was responsible for Arthur’s death, you had noticed that she had started seeming happier as well. She smiled more, talked with you more. Everyday, you saw more of your best friend come back; while you knew that she had been through too much for her to come back completely, you were happy for how far she had come.

 

“Hey ___! Come to watch the shoot?”

 

“Yeah, I told Paps I would. I actually almost forgot but he called me and reminded me.”

 

You saw her smile lessen a little at the mention of Papyrus. “Oh. Well, great. They should be arriving soon. We’re supposed to start in about ten minutes.”

 

As if on cue, your group of monster friends walked in, escorted by several security guards. Along with Papyrus and Sans, Frisk, Tori, Alphys, and even Undyne had all come. You were a little surprised to see Undyne as you thought she had training today and she hadn’t said anything to you. You were also surprised to see Flowey being held by Frisk in his pot. He looked like he very much wanted to be anywhere else.

 

Approaching them, Tuli greeted the group. You saw that she seemed to be keeping her eyes only on Tori. Of all the monsters, Tuli seemed most comfortable with the goat mom. She was the only one that she seemed able to really trust or talk to. In fact, you had walked in several times on the two of them having a deep conversation together. While you were glad that Tuli’s prejudice seemed to be lessening, you wished this would apply more to the others as well. The only other one she didn’t seem to have some kind of problem with was Alphys.

 

“Hey everyone. Thank you all for coming. While the main focus of this magazine issue will be Papyrus and… S-Sans, we want to cover you all as well to bring more interest and features. You will each be given make-up and design artists to help determine what you’ll be wearing throughout the shoot. Keep in mind that not every style that we do today will make it in the magazine; at least not this issue. We just want to cover as wide a range as possible so that we can have things to fallback on.”

 

The group nodded and with that, a swarm of humans fell on the monsters and Frisk to start getting them ready. Each were brought to their own table and were immediately set to work. You gravitated towards where the brothers were seated. Catching Paps’ eye in the mirror, he blushed a light shade of orange but waved at you. Waving back, you turned to look at Sans too, who you saw was watching Tuli as she walked around to each table to explain to the others where they needed to go when they were ready.

 

Just before she went to approach Sans, you saw her take a deep breath, like she was preparing herself. Then, with a cold look on her face, she walked up to him and told him quickly his instructions. Once she was finished with this, she turned to walk over to Papyrus when Sans decided to speak.

 

“Whatever you say, Tulip.”

 

Your eyes widened and you unconsciously took a step forward. _Oh no_.

 

Tuli stopped in her tracks. As she slowly turned around toward him, the look on her face was livid. “ _What_ did you just call me?”

 

“Tulip. You know, cause your nickname is-”

 

“I’m aware of where you may have gotten the idea for that name,” she snapped. You could hear her voice shake and you rushed to get the two of them.

 

 _Shit, shit, shit, shit, fuck, shit_. Each word reverberated in your mind with your steps.

 

“How _dare_ you call me that, you filthy-”

 

You reached her just before she finished her sentence. Grabbing both her arms, you turned her around towards you, saying, “Tuliana, don’t. He doesn’t know.”

 

Her eyes flashed. “How can you be so sure of exactly what he knows? Why do you always take _their_ side?” she whispered harshly.

 

“I am on _both_ of your sides. I don’t want either one of you getting hurt. Besides, this not the time or place. Now please, take a deep breath and try to calm yourself.” As you said this, you moved your hands soothingly up and down her arms, your thumbs moving in circles.

 

As you did this, her eyes closed and she did as you said. After several minutes of this, she finally opened her eyes again and nodded. Though you could tell that she was still angry, it was controlled now. Nodding back at her, you let go of her arms and after shooting one more glare at Sans, made her way to Papyrus to issue him his instructions.

 

Looking at Sans yourself, you saw the confused look on his face.

 

“Why did she get so angry at me calling her Tulip? Did people tease her about it?”

 

Frowning at him, a little annoyed at his starting this whole thing in the first place, you said, “No. She actually used to love that nickname.”

 

“Then why did she freak out? Cause it was coming from me?”

 

“Well, I’m sure that is part of it. But it probably has mostly to do with the fact that that used to be her husband’s pet name for her.”

 

Sans blinked at you. “She was married?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“What happened? Did the guy leave her?”

 

Your frown deepened. “No. He was killed during a camping trip two years ago. It was actually their honeymoon.”

 

You noticed Sans sit up straighter. “Well that’s _in-tents_. What happened?”

 

Sighing at his pun, you say, “No one really knows. Officially, it was a bear attack but Tuli was the only witness and she hasn’t exactly been forthcoming about the events of that night.” Well, this technically wasn’t true but you thought telling Sans who she really believed had killed Arthur wasn’t a good idea. At least, not yet.

Sans narrowed his eye sockets. “Hmmm. Was there any kind of report made?”

 

You shrugged. “Couldn’t tell you. I’m sure though; there was a full blown investigation.”

 

“Interesting.”

 

It was your turn to narrow your eyes. “Are you planning to do something? You’re not going to try to use this in your search for proof that she’s the one causing the disappearances, are you?” You made sure to lower your voice to a whisper as you said this so that the artist working on Sans wouldn’t hear.

 

He adopted an innocent look. “What? Of course not. What kind of skeleton do you take me for?”

 

Shaking your head, you said, “Leave it alone Sans.”

 

“Why, afraid I’ll find something?”

 

Yes. “No. I’m just tired of it. And digging into something this personal, that’s just crossing a line.”

 

He raised a non-existent eyebrow. “You’re a journalist. Isn’t crossing those lines what you do for a living?”

 

“But you see, I am a decent person and know when to stop. While there are many instances where I will do almost anything to get the information I need, something like this is just a bush that’s been beaten too often.”

 

“Welp. I just grabbed the stick.”

* * *

 

After his rather informative chat with you, the photoshoot couldn’t go by fast enough for Sans. He wanted to talk to Undyne about possibly getting into the investigation records at the police station to try and find some clues about what really happened that night. He was already calling bullshit on the “bear attack” story and he could tell by the look on your face that you didn’t believe it either.

 

Several hours went by where Sans was poked and prodded by humans. Tuliana hadn’t been kidding when she’d said that they would be running multiple kinds of photo styles and themes. There was one point where all he was wearing were a pair of shorts while taking shots with his brother. He had actually noticed Frisk poking their head into the area they were in and openly staring at his exposed skeletal figure, causing him to blush blue.

 

He had also noticed you sticking close to him and his brother throughout the shoot and had seen you staring a little wide-eyed yourself at Papyrus, who had been wearing only his scarf and what he had been told was called a “speedo”. He narrowed his a eye sockets a little at this; it had noticed you and Papyrus getting close and wasn’t sure how he felt about it. While he knew that you were a good person, Paps was still his baby brother and he didn’t want him getting hurt.

 

Finally, it was all over and as soon as he got the chance, he went to go find Undyne. When he found her, still dressed in a costume, he asked if he could accompany her back the station.

 

“Oh, well I wasn’t actually planning on going back today. Alphys and I were going to go get ready for tonight.”

 

He groaned. “Is there a way I could get in without you?”

 

“Why do you need to get in tonight?”

 

“I just want to do some research that I think will help with the search for our disappearing friends and think something in the investigation records might help me.”

 

Undyne frowned. “Like what?”

 

“Look, just trust me okay?”

 

She narrowed her eyes at him, staring at him for a long moment. But finally, she took out her phone and dialed a number. When the person answered, she greeted them and asked if they could help Sans get into the station. After a lot of back and forth, Undyne hung up and told him that some guy by the name of Will would help him out when he got there.

 

Quickly thanking Undyne, Sans went to go find Papyrus. When he did, he pulled up short a little when he saw you and Tuliana standing by him and talking. Sighing, he approached the small group.

 

“Hey bro. I’m headed out. I gotta go do some work.”

 

“BUT BROTHER, GRILLBY’S GRAND RE-OPENING IS IN JUST A FEW HOURS FROM NOW! AND YOU PROMISED WE’D PARTICIPATE IN KARAOKE NIGHT!”

 

Sans resisted the urge to smack himself in the skull. He had forgotten about tonight; he had especially forgotten about karaoke night.

 

“Uh...yeah, of course bro. I just need to do some errands and then I’ll meet you at Grillby’s.”

 

“OKAY BROTHER...JUST DON’T BE LATE!”

 

“Heh, no promises but I’ll try. See ya later.”

 

As he turned to leave, Sans noticed you watching him suspiciously. He also saw Tuliana looking at him, with a look that could only be described as tempered hatred. He wondered what he had done to make her look at him like that.

 

_ Or maybe she’s knows I’m onto her and is scoping out her next target _ . The thought made him uneasy and had him eyeing her as he left.

  
Exiting the studio, Sans looked around him and then turned down an alleyway. While this wasn’t exactly the right direction to the police station, he knew a shortcut.


	11. Stars in Your Eyes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sans investigates and Grillby's opens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here is the next chapter. I was really excited about writing this scene. It is kind of short but I originally wrote it together with the last chapter and this was the best breaking point, I felt. I hope you guys like it.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.

Sans slammed the file shut almost violently, frustrated. He couldn’t believe that he had wasted his time and energy for _this_. The file on the investigation of Arthur’s death contained little more information than what you had already told him. The only thing new that he had learned is that the attack had been on Mount Ebott and that Tuliana had been submitted into the hospital for a time afterwards.

 

Sighing, he opened the file again to look over the report one more time to make sure he didn’t miss anything. As he was looking over Tuliana’s medical report, he read something that caught his attention:

 

_Though the patient’s mental stability has improved immensely since first being found, she still exhibits a strange attachment to the small thermos that she was found holding. Any attempt to separate her from the thermos is met with resistance and screaming. The few that have managed to touch it have noted that it is still warm and tends to emit some static electricity, as it shocks them each time. However, nothing else seems to be out of the norm with the thermos and the patient refuses to divulge why she has grown so attached to it._

 

Frowning, Sans continued to read through the medical records, something that he had only skimmed before. He saw that Tuliana had one day disappeared from the hospital before being cleared to discharge. Another investigation had been conducted in search for her; seeing that this was in a separate file, he looked up the number and saw it was the next one in sequence.

 

Looking around the office that the cop had left him in, Sans got up and snuck to the back where the records were kept, using his magic to get past the locked door. Finding the area where the records were kept from two years ago, Sans searched quickly through the files to find the one he was looking for.

 

Choosing to read it right there, Sans flipped through the new file. This one was even thinner than the one before. He noticed your name mentioned several times; you seemed to have been very involved in the search yourself. The case had been marked as unsolved, which he found strange, as Tuliana had been walking around town for months now.

 

As got to the end of the file, some pictures and a plastic bag fell out. Scooping up the pictures, Sans immediately saw that they were not meant to be in this file. They were photos of the campsite. As he flipped through them and came upon the ones of Arthur’s body, Sans had to swallow down bile. It was a truly grisly sight to behold. However, he made himself look closely and one thing was made quite clear: this had not been a bear attack.

 

Frowning, Sans continued to flip through the pictures and noticed several odd things. Besides the gruesome images of the man’s body, the entire campsite was in ruins. This included the surrounding foliage. He even saw that several trees seemed to have been uprooted and thrown across the clearing. If he didn’t know better, Sans would say that… he shook his head. No, that was impossible.

 

Looking at the plastic bag that had also fallen out of the file, he saw that it was a camera memory chip. The writing on the bag indicated that it had never actually been looked through, just found and collected.

 

Hearing footsteps and the sound of somebody trying to unlock the door, Sans quickly put both files back, keeping the bag with the memory chip in his hand. Just as the door opened, he used a shortcut to exit without being discovered.

 

He was leaving with more questions than he came with.

* * *

 

You were standing outside of the new Grillby’s with your friends, Tuli and Papyrus on either side of you. You were all at the front of the rather large crowd so you could see the red ribbon tied to the front of the door. Looking around, you saw the horde of police surrounding the building; it had been deemed best if opening night was given a little more security to ward off protesters or even attackers. While there was still a group of protesters present, they were a safe distance away.

 

For a second, you wondered what it would be like if something did happen. If the protesters actually did try something and the monsters had to defend themselves. Would definitely make quite a story… You shook your head violently. No, that was horrible; you didn’t want something bad to happen here, especially not for something as petty as having a good story.

 

Glancing at your watch, you saw that it was almost time for the opening. Looking up, you caught Papyrus’ eye and his grin widened, his sockets sparkling with those stars that you loved. Grinning back, you switched your gaze to Tuli, who had been quiet since leaving the studio. You had been surprised when she had told you that she was coming; whenever you talked about it with her before, she had never really seemed interested. However, she too had apparently been assigned to cover the opening and she stood ready with her camera.

 

Finally, Grillby came out from behind the building. A small stage had been set up in the front and he climbed up the steps and approached the pedestal that had the microphone attached. Gradually, the excited monsters quieted down and the many forms of media that had come to cover the event prepared themselves. You got out your recorder and steno pad.

 

Clearing his throat, Grillby leaned his fiery head towards the microphone and began speaking.

 

“Good evening everybody, thank you so much for coming. As I am sure you all know, tonight is the grand re-opening of my bar. I can’t tell you how happy I am that this has come to pass. After coming to the surface, I held little hope that I would be able to find a job, let alone open my own place again. But thanks to the kindness and bravery of one human that I’m glad to now consider a friend, all this and more has been made possible.”

 

You felt your cheeks redden slightly as you felt Grillby’s invisible eyes glance over at you, as well as the eyes of several of the monsters. Brave? He thought you were brave? All you had done was write some articles, most of which weren’t even under your name. As Grillby continued speaking, you tried to ignore the looks you were getting and pay attention.

 

“My bar is only one of the many things that have been made possible. We have been able to improve our homes. Our Lady Toriel has started to realize her dream of opening a school; it is in construction now as I speak. And most importantly, our relations with the humans have improved immensely and we have begun to find our places in this new society. We our finding our way to peace.”

 

Grillby bowed his head for a moment as the crowd cheered. You were surprised that he had said so much already. He was one for very few words so a speech wasn’t exactly his norm.

 

Bringing his head back up, Grillby continued in a softer voice.

 

“Of course, we cannot forget the struggles we continue to face. Many of our friends and family have been lost in the months since coming to the Surface. But we cannot lose hope. We must continue to remember them and try to find happiness in their absence. Who knows, one day we might find them again. And they wouldn’t want us to spend our days until then grieving. They would want us to continue to live. I hope that this place can be a safe haven for monsters and humans alike to socialize and get to know each other, peacefully. And I hope that it provides some light in the darkness.”

 

With that, Grillby spun around and shot a ball of fire at the front door. The humans present gasped and took steps back as it hit the ribbon and engulfed it in its flame. As the ribbon finished burning, the crowd cheered and made their way inside. Grillby’s was open for business.

 

* * *

 

It was a good thing you had been at the front of the crowd or else you probably wouldn’t have been able to get in. The restaurant was filled to the brim. It was so full that extra tables and chairs had been set up outside to accommodate the overflowing crowd.

 

You found yourself by the stage, waiting with Papyrus for his brother. It wasn’t long until the karaoke was supposed to start and Pap wanted to be the first to go. But Sans was nowhere to be seen. You frowned a little as you scanned the crowd, wondering what he was getting into. When he had claimed that he needed to go to work, you could see by the look on his face that he was holding something back and had a suspicion for what it was.

 

As you were mulling this over, Grillby came up behind both of you and greeted you, causing you to jump a little. For a bright fire monster, he could really sneak up on a person.

 

He laughed softly, holding up a drink to you. “Here, on the house.”

 

Smiling at him, you took the drink and smelled it curiously. “Ooh, jolly rancher. Thanks Grillbs.”

 

“Of course. It’s the least I can do. This turned out so much better than I could have imagined.”

 

Cocking your head, you asked, “Grillbs? Did you mean what said when you said I was brave?”

 

“Of course I did.”

 

“But how am I brave? All I’ve done is write articles about the lot of you.”

 

“And you did so knowing that it could put you in danger.”

 

“INDEED ____! YOU HAVE CONTINUED TO ASSOCIATE WITH US DESPITE WHAT YOUR FELLOW HUMANS MAY THINK OF YOU! I HAVE OFTEN SEEN YOUR SOUL SHINE THROUGH THESE LAST FEW MONTHS!” Papyrus pitched in.

 

You frowned in confusion. “My soul…?”

 

“It is okay if you do not see it ____. The important thing is that you have helped us greatly and I at least am very grateful.”

 

Before you could question further, Grillby turned to Papyrus and asked, “Is Sans still coming? I thought the two of you were going to kick off karaoke night and it’s almost time.”

 

“MY BROTHER’S HABIT OF BEING LATE SEEMS TO PERSIST. HE DID PROMISE TO DO THIS WITH ME AND HE HAS NEVER BROKEN ONE OF HIS PROMISES.”

 

“Well I’m afraid we can’t wait much longer.”

 

“HMM…” Papyrus thought for a moment. He glanced at you and then his sockets widened, stars coming to his eyes as he gasped as though he had just had an epiphany.

 

Taken aback, you stared questioningly at him for a moment before you realized what that epiphany was. Your own eyes widening, you shook your head vigorously.

 

“Oooh no! No, no, no! I am not getting up there!”

 

“PLEASE ____!”

 

You squirmed. “Pap, there’s a reason I prefer writing about the news rather than being a TV field reporter. I have stage fright; I hate when the spotlight is on me.”

 

Papyrus’ star eyes softened their brightness and he took your hand; even his voice lowered. “Don’t worry, I’ll be with you the whole time.” Somehow, you felt yourself both calm down and your heart rate go up at the same time. You smiled up at him; you suddenly felt very safe.

After a few moments of this, Grillby cleared his throat uncomfortably and said, “Well, guess that’s settled then. I’ll go set up the song.”

 

This snapped you out of your little daze. “Wait, what?” But it was too late, Grillby had already gone to set up the stereo and sound system.

 

Before you could say another word, Papyrus had pulled you up onto the stage and handed you a microphone. _Shit, shit, shit, shit_.

 

As you stared out at the crowd, wide-eyed, you caught sight of Tuli gaping at you. You shrugged at her, trying to convey that you had just about as much of an idea as she did with what you were doing up here.

 

You suddenly heard Grillby come over the speakers. “Hello again everyone, I hope you all are having a good time. Tonight, in celebration of the opening, is karaoke night and here to kick it off are Papyrus and ____. Please give them a round of applause.”

 

And with that, the music started. You realized you recognized the song. Looking at Papyrus in near panic, he indicated that you were to start off. _Shit, shit, shit._ Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and brought the microphone up to your face. Luckily, you knew the song well enough that you didn’t need to read off the screen for the lyrics.

 

“Umbrella at your side, it’s raining but you close it tight…”

 

“AND HOW ARE YOU PURRED A CAT JUST PASSING THROUGH!”

 

The sound of Papyrus’ voice made you smile as it always did and it helped give you the courage to continue the song. By the time you got to the chorus, you had opened your eyes and were even dancing a little as you struggled not to giggle while you sang at Papyrus’ occasional “Nyehs”.

 

“Running to another day, I wanna break away and take the leap…”

 

Suddenly, Papyrus grabbed your hand and started full on dancing with you and you had to struggle a little with being able to sing and dance at the same time but you found yourself having fun.

 

When his main part came in, he did stop dancing but kept ahold of your hand as he sang. You stared up at him with a grin as you saw how much he was enjoying himself; his voice wasn’t bad either. You felt a sort of swelling warmth in your chest and as your part came again, you turned him so that you were standing face to face.

 

“Shining down on me, you’re my blue moon…”

 

His grin softened and his stars became warmer as he sang back, “Dreaming forever to find now, I’m awake…”

 

You sang the last chorus together and as you reached the end, Papyrus spun you out and then back in so that you were encircled in his arms. You ended the song like that, wrapped in his arms, your faces inches apart.

 

And suddenly, you couldn’t wait any longer. You couldn’t deny what you were feeling, that glow in your chest, the way your heartbeat increased with him so close to you. His face so close to yours, all you had to do was…

 

He did it first. Before you had fully come to the decision, Papyrus leaned down and kissed you. You responded almost immediately, smiling through the kiss as it deepened. You didn’t care that you were up on stage, in full sight of probably about 100 humans and monsters. All you cared about was the way his lips (teeth?) felt on yours and the way your heart was soaring.

 

Everything else just melted away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To give credit where credit is due, the song is Drop Pop Candy. I couldn't find the original writers of the song but if you haven't yet, look up the english cover with Papyrus and Sans. It's awesome.


	12. A Crappy Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After your intimate moment with Pap, confessions are made and things kind of go to shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I have no excuses why this took so long; bad writer. Still, I hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.

_Tuliana stood there, gaping at the sight before her. She actually rubbed her eyes a few times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating. But sure enough, when she looked back up, there you were up on stage, kissing Papyrus. In front of everybody. As she looked around, she could actually see that the humans still here taking pictures; most of them were reporters._

 

_Finally, the two of you separated and it was then that you seemed to remember where you were. Your face turning a bright cherry red, you looked up at Papyrus, seemingly unsure of what to do. Instantly, he grabbed your hand and pulled you backstage, away from the gaping crowd. As Grillby came back over the speakers, Tuli finally got over her shock._

 

_Almost immediately, it was replaced by anger. Tuliana could feel a something knotting in her stomach, as well as a pain in her chest that she couldn’t quite explain. It almost felt like there was an open wound where her heart should be. She tried to shake it off, focusing more on the anger; her anger had always been what she could rely on._

 

 _She couldn’t believe that you had just kissed a monster. And not just any monster, the brother of the fucking skeleton that killed Arthur. She had of course noticed that you and Papyrus had been getting close but she never dreamed that you would actually like him in_ that _way. Sure, Papyrus was kind of a sweetheart, even she had to admit that, and despite herself, she couldn’t bring herself to actually hate him or even most of the monsters. But Papyrus’ inevitable loyalty to his brother made him her enemy._

 

_She was getting so angry that she was actually starting to shake. Grabbing at her pendant, she closed her eyes as the soul’s power coursed through her, its familiar touch calming her. When she opened her eyes, she was looking through a yellow haze._

 

_Taking a deep breath, she came to her decision. She had dallied long enough; she had become distracted over the past few months but it was time she got back to her purpose. She would show you what monsters truly were and what they were capable of._

 

Lost in her thoughts, Tuli didn’t notice the skeleton in the corner watching her, his blue eye glowing.

* * *

 

You were on the roof of Grillby’s. After your rather public make-out session with Papyrus, he had pulled you off the stage and weaved through the back until the two of you came to the stairs that led up here. Now the two of you were laying on a tarp that you had found, Papyrus’ arms wrapped around you, staring up at the stars.

 

Your mind had been racing since the kiss. You couldn’t believe it had actually happened. You were almost afraid that it hadn’t and that you had just dreamt the whole thing. At this thought, your heart began to hammer in panic and you wrapped your arms tighter around Papyrus, burying your face in his sternum.

 

Looking down at you, Papyrus asked, “Are you all right ____? Do you regret what transpired between us downstairs?” You still couldn’t get used to his lowered voice.

 

Chuckling a little, you said, “Just the opposite, Pap. I’m afraid I’ve just been dreaming the whole time. That I still am. I haven’t had the greatest experiences when it has come to things like this and I’m afraid of it all going away.”

 

Feeling his finger under your chin, you look up at him. His expression is soft as he leans in to kiss you again. This one is gentle, just a peck on the lips really; you marveled at the way his teeth felt. It wasn’t the hard feeling of bone that you had expected. While still not the same as the feeling of lips on your own, they were soft and moved well with your lips.

 

Lifting his head up, Papyrus proceeded to kiss almost every inch of your face, starting with your forehead, going down the sides, back up to your nose, and finally to your mouth again. As he did this, you felt suddenly giddy and you giggled a little.

 

Pulling back so he could look at you, you saw that the stars in his eyes had become bright. Reaching up, you stroked his face, running your thumb along his eye-ridge down to his cheekbone and back up. He leaned into your hand, his sockets closing slightly. You heard him let out a sigh of content, causing a grin to come to your face.

 

“If this is a dream, then I hope we never wake up,” he whispered. Your grin widened and you felt a happy tug in your chest.

 

After a while, Papyrus asked you to tell him a story about the stars, despite the fact that he had heard all of them by now. Still, you knew which one was his favorite and began telling it. The only thing was that now Papyrus would occasionally interrupt you to give you a kiss. While being interrupted usually irritated you, you found that you didn’t mind his way so much.

* * *

 

You stormed into your apartment, slamming the door behind you. It was two days after the night at Grillby’s and you were getting back from work. And you were pissed. Looking around wildly, you saw Tuli sitting on the couch, something at her feet, staring at you with wide-eyes.

Stomping over to her, you threw yourself onto the couch, your head landing in her lap, and let out a muffled groan. You felt her jump a little, her hands fluttering around your head as if she was unsure of what to do. Finally deciding to just place them on your head, she asked, “Um...are you okay?”

 

You spoke but since your head was still in her lap, it just came out as a bunch of muffled noises.

 

“Come again?”

 

Sighing, you lifted your head to look up at her. “No, I’m not fucking okay. I went into work today in a perfectly good mood and they just couldn’t let it last.” You dropped your head back down with another groan.

 

“Uh...they who?”

 

Throwing your arm out, you gesture vaguely around the living room, narrowly missing hitting Tuli in the face. Turning your face to the side so she could understand you with your head still in her lap, you said, “Fucking everyone. Reporters got pictures of what happened Saturday night and didn’t waste anytime publishing them. So of course those have spread like fucking wildfire and just about everyone knows. It didn’t exactly take them long to connect the dots from there and figure out I’m the person who’s been writing the column. When I went to work today, there was a crowd of people outside the building, a mix of reporters and rioters wanting to either interview me or beat me. And then, once I finally got into the office, the chief pulled me into his office, along with several of the other editors, and told me that it was all getting too big and dangerous for me so that I’d have to be put on temporary leave until it all dies down and I can come into work safely. The only reason I wasn’t back sooner was because the cops needed time to clear out the crowd before I could step foot outside. And then, to add icing on top this shit-fest of a cake, my parents called. Or rather, my dad did. Yup, first time he’s spoken to me in over a fuckin year and he calls so he can lecture me some more on my relationship ‘choices.’ Told me how being in a relationship with a monster was an abomination. I had some of my own choice words to say and that ended up being a huge shouting match until I just hung up on him. He’s tried calling back like ten times but I keep sending him to voicemail. At this rate, my inbox will be full of his ranting and the dozens of reporters calling to try and get an interview with me.” You ended your rant, panting.

 

Tuli raised an eyebrow. “Can you breathe now?” You just huffed at her.

 

“I’ll take that as a yes. And that does sound like a pretty crappy day.”

 

You push yourself up so that you can actually look at Tuli. “Crappy? _Crappy?_ Tuliana, a crappy day would have been any one of those things happening today. All of those things happening together makes for a fucking shit-fest of a day that exploded in my fucking face!”

 

Tuli shrugged. “Well what did you expect ____? That you could kiss the skeleton in front of a crowd filled with reporters and get away with it?”

 

You sat back completely now, gaping at her a little. “ _Get away with it_? You say that as if I did something wrong. And his name is Papyrus.”

 

She just shrugged at you again. You felt the boiling anger that you had been struggling to control all day start to spill over.

 

“Are you fucking serious right now?” You stood up angrily and started to pace, trying to keep the lid on your anger down.

 

“What do you want me to say, ____?”

 

Throwing your arms in the air, you say, “Oh I don’t know. How about some support? I know you don’t exactly approve of Pap but it’s not like he’s a bad guy. And it’s not my fault that he kissed me in a rather public place or that there were photographers there watching. That shouldn’t matter anyway.”

 

“And why is that?”

 

“Because you’re my friend Tuliana. My best friend! We’re supposed to be there for each other!”

 

“ _Be there for each other_? That’s a load a bull!” Now she was standing up too.

 

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

 

“It _means_ that whenever the monsters are involved, you always seem to take their side. And now, you’re dating one? And not just any one. The brother of the one you know killed Arthur.”

 

“You have found no proof of that.”

 

“But you see, as my ‘best friend’, I shouldn’t need to prove it to you. You should be able to trust me.”

 

“ _Trust_ you? That’s a two-way street honey. Do not think I haven’t noticed that you’ve been keeping secrets from me. Like why you wear that pendant all the time or where you go disappearing off to for hours at a time. And I told you, the proof isn’t just for me. In order to get justice, you need to do this right.”

 

“I don’t want justice! I want revenge!”

 

“And that right there is your problem! Revenge isn’t going to solve anything! It’s just going to end with another person dead!”

 

“Exactly! He deserves to die for what he did to Arthur! You weren’t there, you don’t know. And you think that is my problem? I can assure you, that is not my problem.”

 

“Oh really? If wanting to enact revenge by killing someone that could very well be innocent isn’t your problem, then what is?”

 

“YOU ARE!”

 

That took you off guard. “What do mean, I am?”

 

“Exactly what I said. _You_ are my problem.”

 

“How am _I_ your problem?”

 

“You’re a distraction!”

 

“How?”

 

“I don’t know, you just are! You, with your infernal optimism and your seemingly inability to not care, whether it’s about me or anybody else. You, with your stubborness and unwillingness to let go of a version of me that’s long gone. You, with your ability to make me laugh and forget about why I came here and to want to start a new life. You are a distraction!”

 

“How is any of that a problem? You’re yelling at me and complimenting me at the same damn time! I don’t know if I should keep arguing or say thank you!”

 

“Because….I want….to start that new life with you. You with your infernal optimism, stubbornness, and caring. You with your ability to make me laugh and forget. I want you.”

 

You gaped at her. Did you hear that right? You felt a burning in your chest.

 

“____…” Tuli reached for you but you backed away.

 

“Are you fucking kidding me? For _years_ , I wanted you. But I said nothing as I watched you fall in love and was happy for you. Because I saw that he made you happy. I struggled to heal the hole that you left after you disappeared. And now. Now, I’m finally at a place where I think I can be happy with someone else. And now, you’re telling me that not only do you think you have those feelings that I was sure you would never reciprocate, you’re telling me that you can’t show me that same courtesy I showed you?”

 

Tuli blinked at you. “___…,” she repeated.

 

“No Tuliana. Just...no.”

 

Turning on your heel, you headed to the door. Suddenly hearing thunder, you grab the raincoat and umbrella hanging by the door.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“For a walk.”

 

And with that, you opened the door and stepped out, just as the rain came pouring down.

* * *

 

Sans stared incredulously at his computer, clicking through the pictures on his screen. What the hell? How was this possible?

 

After working the rest of the weekend and well into today, Sans had finally had a chance to sit down and pop in the memory chip that he had found in Tuliana’s file. At first, the pictures had been normal enough. They started off as wedding pictures, then transitioned to just Tuliana and her husband as they hiked up Mt. Ebott and set up their camp. After that is when it got...strange.

 

Most of the pictures weren’t very good; clearly they had not meant to be taken. The camera must have been in Tuli’s hand at the time it all started and she had somehow kept hold of it. Though there was clearly a point when she had dropped it. And it was then that the video had been taken.

 

Sans couldn’t believe his eyes. What he saw was utter chaos and destruction. It was gruesome but he couldn’t seem to look away. He was finally able to understand why Tuliana was the way she was. And now he knew she had a motive.

 

Suddenly, Sans heard a gasp behind him. Spinning around, he saw Papyrus standing behind him, his eye sockets wide with terror. Quickly, Sans fumbled to stop the video but by the time he managed to, it was too late. His brother had seen enough. Sans had no idea how long he had been standing there.

 

“Brother...what were you watching?” Papyrus was so shocked that he couldn’t bring his voice to its normal volume.

 

“Pap...I...uh..look bro, it’s nothing you need to worry about. It’s just some research I’ve been doing in trying to find out more about the missing monsters.”

 

“But...that woman...I saw her face. It was Tuli.”

 

Sans sighed. Damn, he had seen more than Sans had thought. “Ah...yeah bro...it was. I...uh... I have been suspecting her for a while. And this might be just the evidence I need.”

 

Papyrus’ sockets widened. “Brother, you can’t possibly mean what I think you do. Tuliana is a friend of _____. I am sure that she wouldn’t associate with someone like that.”

 

“Look Paps, this ain’t about your girlfriend. This is about our friends that have been going missing for months now without a trace. These disappearances have been happening ever since Tuliana came to town and it is clear by what is on this memory chip that she has a motive.”

 

Paps blushed a little bit at his brother calling you his girlfriend but he stood tall as he said, “I STILL DON’T BELIEVE IT! I’M SURE IF WE JUST TALKED TO HER, EVERYTHING WILL BE EXPLAINED!” With that, Papyrus started walking out of the house.

 

His sockets widening, Sans quickly grabbed the memory chip and ran after his brother. “Bro, what do you think you’re doing? It’s not safe to go see her alone.”

 

“I WON’T BE ALONE BROTHER. I’M SURE _____ WILL BE THERE AND I ASSUMED YOU WOULD BE COMING AS WELL.”

 

Stepping in front of Papyrus, Sans said, “Look bro, I don’t want you going at all. It could be dangerous. Let me go alone.”

 

“AND RISK YOU DOING SOMETHING DRASTIC?! I THINK NOT! YOU CANNOT STOP ME BROTHER! I’M GOING WHETHER YOU WANT ME TO OR NOT!”

 

Sans sighed. His brother may seem soft on the outside but he was no fool. “Fine bro. Let’s go.” He held out his hand to him.

 

Frowning, Papyrus asked, “WHY ARE YOU OFFERING ME YOUR HAND?”

 

“I know a shortcut…”

 

~

The two brothers landed right outside of town, in the middle of the pouring rain. It was as far as Sans could go without exerting too much of his energy. Still, he felt fatigue the moment they landed and stumbled a little.

 

Catching him, Papyrus said, “WOWIE SANS! HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT?”

 

“Heh. Pretty neat, huh? But I don’t think I’ll be doing it again for a while. Getting both of our skeleton behinds all the way over here was not easy. I think I’m skele-done for the night.”

 

“OH, WELL I- REALLY SANS? PUNS? NOW?”

 

Sans shrugged. “Sorry bro. Old habits die hard.”

 

Groaning, Papyrus said, “LET’S JUST GET GOING. WE HAVE A LONG WALK TO ____’S PLACE.”

 

It was Sans’ turn to groan.

* * *

 

You weren’t sure how long you had been walking but it was long enough for the downpour to turn into little more than a misty sprinkle. You had actually folded up and re-compressed your umbrella, relying on just your raincoat to shield you. Checking your watch, you sighed and turned back around towards home.

 

You had thought about calling Papyrus but you weren’t sure how to explain everything yet, especially over the phone. And you didn’t want to make him come all the way out here, especially since he didn’t have a car yet. You perked up suddenly. But you did; you could drive over. Excitedly, you reach into your pocket for your phone but come up short. You groan when you realize you left it in your apartment in your hurry to get out. Great.

 

Sighing again, you stopped for a moment to let the misty rain fall on your face, pushing your hood back. It felt good and helped you to calm your mind. Taking a deep breath, you were just about to continue walking when you felt something grab your arm and pull you into a nearby alley. Whatever...whoever it was pushed you up against the brick wall. You felt hot breath on your ear as the person leaned in and spoke.

 

“Well look who it is. If it isn’t the monster lover. Out for a nice little stroll?” It’s a man’s voice.

 

Keeping your voice calm, you answered, “As a matter of fact, yes. And if you would be so kind, I would like to continue with it.” You go to move but he tightens his grip on you, keeping you pressed against the wall.

 

“What’s the hurry? Off to meet with your skeleton boyfriend? Is it even male? Eh, it doesn’t matter. Either way, it’s a monster and the very idea of a human being in a relationship with a thing like that is just horrifying. How does that even work? Would you like me to show you what a real man feels like?”

 

“No. I’m warning you, get off me.”

 

“Aw come on sweetie, let’s have some fun.” The man leaned in and immediately, you brought your knee up, right between his legs. It wasn’t a good blow but it was enough to make him loosen his grip on you. Taking advantage of this, you spun away and took a defensive stance. The smart thing to do would have been to run away. But you were pissed now; you felt something inside of you urging you to stay and kick his ass. 

 

Wincing, he growled, “Oh. So we’re gonna have that kind of fun. Very well, I’ll play along.” He lunged at you.

 

Spinning away again, you pressed the button on the handle of your umbrella; since it was still tightly velcroed shut, hitting the button just caused it to become longer, giving you a nice improvised weapon.

 

Growling again, the man came at you, his fist pulled back. This time, you sidestepped, catching the blow with your arm and sending a quick hook into his midsection. You heard his breath leave his body in a huff. Jumping back, you brought the umbrella down, hitting him in the nook between his neck and shoulder. He let out a yell and fell to one knee.

 

As the umbrella wasn’t exactly made of strong stuff, the metal had bent, making it useless. You tossed it away in frustration and did a push kick into the man’s chest, causing him to fall back.

 

Standing over him, you yelled, “Next time you wanna try and mess with a girl, make sure she can’t kick your pathetic ass, you fucking sicko.”

 

Suddenly, you heard someone shout your name from behind. Looking around, you saw Papyrus and Sans walking towards you, confusion written on both their faces. But then their expressions turned to horror and Papyrus leapt forward, screaming your name.

 

Frowning, you turned in time for the man behind you to wrap his hand around your neck and push you into the wall again, your head cracking against it so hard that you saw stars. You saw something glint in his other hand.

 

“Go to hell, you fucking bitch.”

 

His arm came up and you felt something cold and sharp in your abdomen, making you gasp. He began twisting the the knife in more, but before he could get it much deeper, he was suddenly ripped away from you. Falling to the ground, your vision already starting to go dark, you thought you heard a dark laugh echo in your ears. You suddenly saw that the man was being held up against the opposite wall, his body glowing with magic. Your first thought was that Sans had saved you.

  
But then, as your vision continued to grow darker, you realized that the magic surrounding the man wasn’t Sans’ signature blue. It was orange.


	13. Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The skeletons and Tuli rush to help you after you've been hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A slightly less of a wait. A bit of a filler but I hope you guys like it still.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.

Papyrus was furious. No, it was more than that. For the first time in his life, Papyrus was truly pissed off. As he held the man who had been assaulting you against the alley wall with his magic, he felt his anger burning in his chest. This man had hurt you and Papyrus wanted to make him pay for it.

 

_ He hurt her, he deserves to die.  _ The thought repeated in his mind, over and over, in a voice that he didn’t recognize as his own.

 

His right eye glowing with a fiery orange light, Papyrus pulled the man forward, slammed him into the wall and then brought him crashing to the ground, still holding him with his magic. His anger was fueling him, making his magic strong; he felt that his capabilities were far beyond what they usually were. Walking towards the man, Papyrus summoned bones. As they shimmered into the air, Papyrus drew his arm back but before he could throw it forward it again, he felt someone grab his arm.

 

“Papyrus, no! He’s not worth it!”

 

Papyrus whipped his head around to look at his brother, his orange eye glowing brighter. “LET ME GO BROTHER.” The power coursing through him altered his voice, making it sound like multiple Papyrus’ were talking at once.

 

“No. I will not allow you to increase your LOVE for someone as pathetic as him.”

 

“HE HURT HER!” As he said this, Papyrus tried to pull his arm from Sans’ grip but it was like iron.

 

“Yes, he did. And he deserves to pay for it, but not like this. Don’t sink to his level Pap. Look at her. She needs you.”

 

Papyrus looked over at your slumped form, sitting in a pool of your own blood. He couldn’t tell if you were conscious or not but the sight of you like this caused his soul to ache. He needed to help you. Almost immediately, the anger fueling his magic left him, replaced with worry for you.

 

Letting the man go, he ran to you, Sans releasing his arm when he saw that he was no longer intent on killing the man. Taking out his phone, he dialed Undyne’s number.

 

Papyrus had reached you and had pulled you onto his lap, cradling you in his arms. As he moved you, you gasped in pain, your eyes flying open suddenly. Looking around wildly, your eyes came to light on Papyrus’ face. It took you a moment to recognize him but once you did, a small smile came to your lips and you whispered, “Paps.”

 

His voice soft, Papyrus said, “Yes, it’s me. Don’t worry, you’re safe now. You’ll be okay, I promise. We’re going to get help.”

 

Still smiling, you reached up to touch his face but before you could reach it, your eyes rolled to the back of your head and you passed out, your arm falling to your side.

 

His sockets widening, Papyrus yelled, “____! NO, YOU NEED TO STAY AWAKE! SANS! HELP ME!”

 

He turned towards his brother, his tears mixing with the rain that was still falling on all of them. Sans had just finished making sure that the man wouldn’t be going anywhere and walked over to his brother. Seeing you, his face turned grim. While it was clear that neither of your wounds were fatal, you were losing a lot of blood.

 

“I called for help bro but it may be a while before they get here.”

 

“SHE NEEDS HELP NOW SANS! CAN’T YOU TELEPORT US AGAIN?”

 

Sans grimaced. “The hospital is so far from here... I’m not sure I can make it all the way there after the last trip, especially with all three of us in tow.”

 

“PLEASE SANS! SHE NEEDS TO GET SOMEWHERE SAFE!”

 

Thinking hard for a moment, Sans said, “Alright. I can’t make it to the hospital but I can make it to her place. She’ll be safe there and we can call an ambulance. We can do what we can to stop the bleeding too.”

 

Nodding vigorously, Papyrus held you tighter as Sans put a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

 

_Tuliana was pacing in the living room. You had been gone for hours and she had quickly realized that you had left your phone in the apartment after she’d tried calling you. She didn’t know what to do. She wanted to go out and look for you but wanted to be here when you came back. She had half a mind of calling the police and getting a search party going._

 

_She felt so stupid. Why would she bring that up? Did she really think that after all these years, you’d still want her? And how could she let you just walk out like that? Your face was all over the news and you had said yourself that people were out to get you now. Had she really just brushed that off?_

 

_Groaning in frustration, she finally made her decision and took her phone back out to dial 911. But before she could hit the call button, a blue glow started to form in the area by the door. As it got bigger, she began to see shapes forming until Sans and Papyrus were suddenly standing before her, Papyrus on the ground with you cradled in his arms._

 

_As Sans collapsed from the exertion of the shortcut, Papyrus turned to her and cried out desperately, “HELP HER!”_

* * *

 

“PLEASE! HELP HER!” Papyrus cried out again to the gaping Tuli. This finally seemed to bring her to her senses and she raced forward, exclaiming, “What the hell happened?!”

 

“SHE WAS ATTACKED. WE CAME UPON HER FIGHTING A MAN IN AN ALLEY; IT ACTUALLY LOOKED LIKE SHE WAS WINNING. BUT I THINK WE DISTRACTED HER AND HE CAME AT HER WITH A KNIFE. I MANAGED TO...GET HIM OFF HER BUT NOT BEFORE HE HAD ALREADY STABBED HER. I THINK SHE ALSO HIT HER HEAD, THERE’S BLOOD MATTED IN HER HAIR!”

 

Papyrus said all of this in a rush, trying to get out as fast as he could. “WE NEED TO STOP THE BLEEDING AND CALL AN AMBULANCE! TULI!”

 

She had been gaping at you again, the sight of your pale face and the blood causing her own face to drain of color. But as Papyrus yelled at her once again, she rushed into action. She knew you kept a first aid kit in both of the bathrooms and brought those out, taking out the gauze. Going to the towel closet, she brought out a few of those as well.

 

Kneeling next to you and Papyrus, who seemed to have no intention of letting you go, she started to press the gauze into the stab wound. She heard you gasp in shock but you stayed unconscious. Papyrus growled a little when he heard you gasp, causing Tuli to shoot a glare his way but she continued to work.

 

After having packed several wads of gauze onto your wound, she took a towel and wrapped it around your abdomen as tightly as she could. However, she could already see a spot forming on the towel.

 

“Shit, he must have nicked something, an organ maybe, for it to be bleeding this much. I’ve done all I can here. I’m going to find her car keys so I can drive her there; it’ll be faster than calling the ambulance, though I will call to let them know we’re coming.”

 

She got up and started searching frantically for both her phone and your keys, not knowing where you had left them. As she did this, Papyrus continued to hold you, bringing his forehead down to yours, rocking back and forth. He could hear your ragged breathing and knew he had to do something. He had to help you. He had to…

 

By this time, Sans had managed to sit up. As he watched his brother, he started to notice that Papyrus’ eye was glowing again. Though this was not the fiery, angry glow from before, Sans still found it concerning and said, “Uh...Paps?”

 

But Papyrus didn’t seem to hear. His magic began to pulse around the two of you. As the air thickened with it, Sans saw Papyrus’ orange Soul rise to the surface, along with your’s. Despite himself, Sans was surprised to see that your’s was orange as well.

 

Tuli had stopped in her tracks. She was gaping at you and Papyrus, her eyes drawn to the Soul rising from your chest. “What is he doing? Why is her Soul out?” She gripped her pendant instinctively, ready to come to your defense.

 

“I...I think he’s healing her,” Sans said, so in awe of his brother that he hardly registered Tuli’s words. Healing magic had never been something that he was very good at and he had never known or suspected that his brother would be capable of it.

 

“What? Monster’s have healing magic?”

 

Sans nodded mutely, too enraptured to bother explaining right then.

 

At this point, both your and Papyrus’ Souls were floating in front of each other, inches from touching. Papyrus’ magic began to flow from his Soul into your’s and from there, into your physical body. The parts where your injuries were began to glow and your back arched, your breathing becoming heavy. A grimace formed on your face, as though you were fighting something.

 

Sensing this, Papyrus whispered, “You’re okay. You’re safe. Come back to me, ____.”

 

The grimace relaxed and your eyes began to flutter. As they did, the flow of magic ceased and both Souls retreated back into their owners’ chests. Once they were safely in there, Papyrus hunched over you, exhausted. But he had done it.

 

As your eyes opened completely, you looked around. Seeing Papyrus, a tired smile came to your face and you reached up to touch his face; he leaned into your hand. “Hey there,” you whispered.

 

Sighing with relief, he said back, “Hey.”

 

Tuli rushed to your side and started unwrapping the towel and pulling away the gauze. Glancing over in surprise, you asked confusedly, “Tuli?” but she was too intent on her task to answer.

 

Once she had completely cleared away the gauze and saw that the wound in your stomach was now little more than a pink scar, tears of relief filled her eyes and she wrapped your head in her arms, as that was the only accessible spot for her to hug.

 

Patting her awkwardly, you said, “Uh...hi to you too. But I can’t breathe now.”

 

Immediately, she let go. Smiling with amusement, you felt your eyes growing heavy. You were so tired…

 

“Wait, is something wrong? She’s passing out again.” You heard Tuli speak but it seemed distant.

 

“She’s probably just tired. Though she was healed by magic, her body still had to go through the process like it healed on its own, just sped up. Plus, Papyrus wouldn’t have been able to replace the blood she lost. She still needs to go to the hospital.” You recognized Sans voice but it too seemed far away.

 

“I’ll call 911 then.” You heard footsteps walk away.

 

No longer able to push away the fog of sleep, you turned in Papyrus’ arms and snuggled into his chest. As you let the darkness wash over you again, you heard him whisper in your ear, “Go ahead and rest, ____. I’ll watch over you.” You fell asleep with a smile on your face.

* * *

 

When you woke up, you were in a hospital room. The first thing you noticed was how sore your head was. The next was the sound of the machine beeping next to you. As you looked around, you also saw that there was a bag of blood hanging on hook next to your bed; your eyes followed the tube connected to it til you came to the part that was inserted in your arm. Grimacing, you looked away from it.

 

That’s when you saw Tuli; she was sitting in a chair next to your bed, her head pillowed in her arms on it. You chuckled softly when you realized she was asleep. Immediately, you wished you hadn’t as it caused the soreness in your head to intensify, making your chuckle turn into a gasp of pain.

 

Instantly, Tuli’s head shot up, looking around wildly as she blinked the sleep from her eyes. When she saw that you were awake, she cried out with joy and lunged at you to engulf you in a hug. However, when you gasped in pain again, she immediately pulled back, a worried look on her face.

 

Smiling at her, you said, “It’s okay Tuli, I’m okay. Just a bit sore, that’s all.” She smiled tightly and nodded.

 

Cocking your head at her, you said, “I’m actually surprised that sore is all I am. Could have sworn I felt that guy stab me…”

 

Tuli’s eyes widened. “You mean…you don’t remember?”

 

You squinted your eyes as you racked your brain. “I remember...getting distracted by Pap and Sans and the man rushing at me, feeling the pain of the knife. I remember him being pulled away from me...by magic I think...orange magic. Then, Papyrus was holding me and I think I passed out...and then…”

 

“And then what?”

 

“I remember I felt like I was drowning, drowning in a sea of darkness. But I wasn’t afraid; it felt oddly comforting. Then, an orange light pierced through that darkness and started pulling me back. I fought it at first, I didn’t want to leave the comforting darkness. But that orange light was insistent. I even think it spoke to me....I let it pull me out and when I opened my eyes, I was looking into Papyrus’ eyes. I remember falling asleep in his arms as he whispered to me that he’d watch over me…”

 

Blinking, you looked into Tuli’s amazed eyes. “Am I missing anything?”

 

She told you what had happened in the apartment, from you and the skele-bros appearing to Papyrus healing you. You listened, your amazement growing each minute. When she had finished with telling how you had gotten to the hospital, all you could say was, “Wow. I missed a lot while I was sleeping…”

 

This brought a chuckle out of Tuli.

 

“So where are they?”

 

Frowning, Tuli asked, “Where are who?”

 

“Papyrus and Sans, of course. I would like to thank the two skeletons that saved my hide.”

 

“Oh. I would guess probably still in the waiting room. Nobody would let them in to see you, at least not while you were still passed out.”

 

You huffed with annoyance. Even when they saved a human life, they were still mistrusted. “Could you go get a doctor or nurse, please? I would like to tell them just what I think of that.”

 

Nodding, she quickly walked out the door. She returned about ten minutes later with a doctor and, surprisingly, Will in tow.

 

Blinking, you said, “Will? What are you doing here?”

 

Smiling, he said, “Good to see you awake, ____. I’m here cause I’m the leading investigator on this case and I need to ask you some questions, if you’re up for it.”

 

Nodding your assent, he began his stream of questions, starting from why you had been walking alone at night to the attack itself to what you remembered afterwards. For the last part, you repeated much of what you said to Tuli, even the part about drowning in darkness in case it was beneficial for them to know what Papyrus’ healing magic had seemed like to you.

 

As the questioning went on, the doctor ran some tests with you, taking your blood pressure, counting your BPM and feeling the spots where your wounds had been. They seemed amazed and jotted notes down on your chart.

 

When Will had finished questioning you, the doctor finally spoke. “Well, I must say Ms. ____. For someone who has been through as much as you have, you seem to be in remarkably good shape. Why, if weren’t for the fact that you definitely showed signs of blood loss, despite there being no open wounds when you came to us, I would think that this is all some kind of bad hoax. I would like to keep you one more night for observation, however. Can never be too careful.”

You nodded your understanding and asked, “So can Sans and Papyrus be allowed in now?”

 

The doctor frowned. “Who?”

 

You raised your eyebrows. “The two skeletons who saved me. The ones I was told weren’t allowed in here for some strange reason.”

 

“Oh...them...I’m not sure that bringing them up here is such a good idea...they might scare some of the other patients.”

 

“Oh, come on. Seriously? They saved my life! I would like to be able to thank them for that!”

 

Will pitched in. “I agree that the brothers should be allowed to visit her. They deserve to see her. Why, if they were human, they would be considered heroes. They still should be.”

 

Sighing, the doctor said, “Very well. I’ll allow them in. But only until visiting hours are over.”

 

The doctor stepped out of the room. Will went to follow after him but stopped when you said, “Thanks Will.”

 

Turning to smile at you, he responded, “No problem kid. Only spoke the truth. Feel better now.” Patting your shoulder, he left the room.

 

Not long after that, Papyrus burst into the room, Sans following behind. As soon as he saw you, Papyrus rushed towards you and wrapped you in a hug so tight, you couldn’t breathe for a moment. When he pulled back, tears were streaming from his eye sockets.

 

“Oh, honey. It’s okay. I’m okay.” Grabbing his face with both your hands, you brought it down so you could place a kiss on his forehead. “Thanks to you, I’m okay. To both of you.” You looked over at Sans as you said this last part. You saw him blush blue. You went to say something but you were engulfed in another Papyrus hug, though it was gentler this time.

 

“I thought I was going to lose you,” he whispered so only you could hear.

 

Wrapping your arms around him, you said again, “I’m okay. I’m not going anywhere.”

 

You felt him nod into your shoulder but he still didn’t let you go for several more minutes. You saw the uncomfortable looks on both Tuli and Sans’ face and you chuckled a little.

 

When Pap finally pulled back, you said, “So boys, I want to hear your side of the story. What fortunate circumstance brought you to come across me in the first place?”

 

Papyrus frowned. “I HARDLY THINK THAT IT WAS FORTUNATE THAT WE CAME UPON YOU. YOU SEEMED TO BE DOING JUST FINE UNTIL WE SHOWED UP AND DISTRACTED YOU.”

 

You shrugged. “Who knows what could have happened? He might have still managed to overpower me. I was pissed and being reckless; had he been smart enough, he could have taken advantage of that.”

 

“HM. STILL, I THINK THE REASON FOR OUR BEING THERE IS A CONVERSATION BEST LEFT FOR WHEN YOU’VE HAD MORE REST.”

 

“Actually, bro, I think now is a perfect time. We’re all here, in a public place. People are less likely to get hurt like this.”

 

“SANS! SHE HAS BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH!”

 

You frowned. “Hurt? What reason could you have that could possibly end up with someone getting hurt?”

 

Sans held up the chip. “This.”

  
Tuli gasped. “My memory chip.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a forewarning, I'm gonna be going on vacation for a couple weeks starting this Saturday so I'm not sure how much I'll be able to update. I know my update schedule is already kind of erratic but I'm not sure how often I'll really be able to write. That of course doesn't mean I won't try. I'm going to try and get another chapter in before I leave and I might be able to write while I'm traveling. Thank you guys so much for staying with me this whole time and being patient.


	14. Flashback

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You finally learn about the night Arthur was killed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my Gooood. It felt so good to sit down and write. It's been so crazy here; sometimes I forget how big my family is and how crazy they can get. Especially the little ones. But anyway, here is the new chapter. Hopefully I can get the next one up soon as well. I hope you guys like it.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated. :)

“Where did you get that, skeleton?” Tuli spat out the word skeleton like it was a disgusting word, taking a threatening step towards Sans. 

 

“Tuli,  _ no _ .” Your voice rang with an almost commanding air to it, causing Tuli to actually stop in her tracks and turn to you with wide eyes. The skele-bros had also turned to you, surprise registering on both of their faces. 

 

Sighing, you rubbed your eyes tiredly. You didn’t know why you were so tired, as you had been sleeping for nearly a full day. But your head was pounding and you just wanted to lay it back and close your eyes…

 

You sigh again.

 

“Can we please not cause a scene here? There’s been enough shit going on lately, we don’t need the two of you blowing up the hospital to add to that.” You look first at Sans and then at Tuli, who nodded her head stiffly, moving back to stand next to your bed, still glaring at Sans.

 

Looking at Sans again, you ask, “Now, Sans, could you please tell us where you got that chip? And why it would be cause to make your way to my house?”

 

Sans blinked, as if this was not how he had pictured this going. “Well, I..ah... _ borrowed _ it from the police station.”

 

“SANS! PLEASE DON’T TELL ME YOU STOLE THAT MEMORY CHIP!” Papyrus interrupted furiously.

 

“I did say  _ borrow _ Pap…”

 

“DID YOU TAKE IT WITH THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND WERE YOU INTENDING TO GIVE IT BACK?!”

 

“Um…”

 

“SANS!” Papyrus looked angrier than when Sans dropped a bad pun. 

 

“Look, bro, it was for a good reason. I need to find out who’s behind these disappearances and  _ she _ has been suspect number one for months now.”

 

“Me? What could have possibly led you to believe it was me?”

“Oh, I don’t know, you tried to attack me the first night we met, you have a Soul hanging around your neck, you’ve never exactly been warm to monsters, you have a tendency to disappear for hours at of time…” Sans ticked these off on his fingers as he spoke.

 

Tuli’s mouth flopped open and closed like a fish. “Why I..how did you..what have you been... _ have you been spying on me? _ ” You reached out to grab Tuli’s hand, hoping that it would help keep her calm.

 

“As a matter of fact, yes, yes I have. Though you always somehow lose me when you go off into the forest…”

 

You cut in, starting to get a little angry yourself. “Sans, I told you to drop it. I know Tuli and while I can’t deny that she has some grudges against you, she would never hurt an innocent, human or monster.”

 

Tuli turned to you now, eyes wide. “You knew about this?”

 

You sighed yet again. “Did I know he has suspected you for months? Yes. He has pissed me off on several occasions by bringing it up. Did I know of the lengths he’s gone to try to prove it? No. But you still haven’t answered another question Sans: why is the chip so important?”

 

“Because of what’s on it.”

 

“And what, exactly, is on it?”

 

“Pictures.”

 

“Well no shit, it’s a camera memory chip!” Tuli snapped.

 

Sans growled. “Pictures of  _ that night _ . The night at the campsite. While they have left me with many questions, it has answered one thing: you have a motive.”

 

Tuliana’s eyes flashed. “Why you fucking little...how  _ dare _ you accuse me of kidnapping, or worse,  _ killing _ your kind, especially after you-”

 

“I, what, exactly?”

 

“STOP PLAYING LIKE YOU DON’T KNOW!” Tuli screamed. Papyrus rushed to close the hospital room door. “STOP ACTING AS IF YOU WEREN’T THERE! AS IF YOU DIDN’T-”

“I didn’t do  _ anything _ . I was not there that night Tuli, though after watching the video, I can see the confusion. I can assure you, I’m just as perplexed as you are.”

 

“Wait, Tuliana, what exactly is it you think my brother did?” Papyrus’ had gone soft and gentle, trying to keep some calm in the room.

 

Tuli looked at Papyrus and some of the anger left her eyes, replaced by a bit of regret, as though she wished that she didn’t have to tell Papyrus this. Then she looked at you, as if asking permission. 

 

You looked her straight in the eyes and said, “I think it’s time we all learned what happened that night, Tuliana; all of it, not just your accusations and bits and pieces we already know. We need to get this story straight.”

 

Tuliana’s face crumpled, as if this was something she had been dreading. But she took a deep breath, her face hardening back into its resolute mask. “Very well, I suppose it’s best for the truth to come out now…”

* * *

 

_ Tuli snapped a photo, the flash going off despite the broad daylight. Her husband, Arthur, turned around to look at her in exasperation. Adopting an innocent look, she lowered her camera and smiled at him, trying desperately to not let it turn into a laugh. _

 

_ Arthur raised his eyebrows. “Really, Tuliana?” Though he tried to sound stern, she could hear the laughter just under the surface of his voice. Her own smile turned into a wide grin. _

 

_ “What’d I do?” she asked innocently, swinging her hips side to side; speaking made it harder to keep her laughter in check and she bit the inside of her cheek.  _

 

_ “You know what you did, missy.” _

 

_ Turning her nose into the air, Tuli said, “I dunno what you’re talking about…” She looked sideways at him, smiling playfully.  _

 

_ “Uh huh. Stop taking pictures and help me pack the car. We were supposed to be on the road thirty minutes ago.” _

 

_ Her smile became mischievous. “If you want me to stop taking pictures, you’ll have to take the camera from me.” _

 

_ A glint came to Arthur’s eyes as he took a step toward Tuli. “Is that a challenge?” he whispered.  _

 

_ “Maaaaybeee.” _

 

_ Arthur lunged at Tuli. Squealing with delight, she jumped just out of his reach, holding her camera out to make it harder to take it from her. However, before she could run away, Arthur managed to grab her arm and pull her toward him, wrapping his own arms around her waist. _

 

_ Pressing his lips to her ear, he whispered, “Got you.” _

 

_ “You were supposed to be going after the camera.” _

 

_ Starting a trail of kisses down her neck, he replied, “Hmmm...you...are...a…much more... _ desireable _...prize…” _

 

_ Tuli felt her heart rate increase as she leaned into his chest, closing her eyes as he continued his trail along her jaw. She turned her face towards him in order to catch his lips with her own but they could come together, the sound of someone clearing their throat loudly made both of them jump and spring apart. _

 

_ Tuli turned to see you standing there with some supplies in your arms. She just managed to catch the pained look on your face before you covered it with a wide, amused smile. “Geez guys, save it for the honeymoon won’t you? There are still people around.” You shook your head in mock disgust as you made your way to the trunk of the car to squeeze the items in your arms into the remaining space.  _

 

_ “Oh, come off it ____,” Arthur replied jokingly. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” _

 

_ You raised an eyebrow. “Doesn’t mean I enjoy watching it.” As you passed her, you gave Tuli a wink and a smile.  _

 

_ Despite how well you had gotten at hiding your pain over the last few years, she knew you well enough to see the hint of sadness still in your expression and she felt a brief stab of guilt. But after a moment, she shook it off; she knew you wouldn’t appreciate the pity, though she was pretty sure that you didn’t know that she had known for a while now. _

 

_ Following behind you, she said, “Thanks for helping us out ____. Is that the rest of it?” _

 

_ You didn’t answer for a moment as you struggled to fit everything; Tuli came up beside you to help push it all in. When the two of you had finally managed to get it, you finally answered, breathing a little heavily. “It should be. I don’t think you guys can fit any more anyway. How long you guys going for?” _

 

_ Arthur answered. “Five days. There’s a nice clearing up on Mt. Ebott that’s perfect for a getaway camping trip.” _

 

_ You huffed. “I still don’t like that you guys are going to  _ that _ mountain. You know what they say about it...that whoever goes up to Mt. Ebott—” _

 

_ “—are never seen again, blah blah blah. A load a crap. Sure, people have gone missing up there but I’ve been camping there dozens of times and I’m still here, aren’t I?” _

 

_ You just rolled your eyes and said, “Fine, whatever. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.” _

 

_ Tuli smiled at both of you. “Oh stop arguing, both of you. Come over here and huddle behind me, I want to get a quick picture in before we leave.” _

 

_ Both you and Arthur responded, “Of course you do,” while rolling your eyes, but you huddled behind Tuli, where she promptly gave each of you a smack before turning back to her camera to snap the picture.  _

 

_ As soon as the picture was done, Arthur leapt away and said, “All right, let’s get going. I want to make it before sunset.” He walked briskly to the driver’s side of the car, just waving behind when you shouted, “Well bye to you too.” _

 

_ Laughing, Tuli bent down to give you a hug; she felt you squeeze tight. “You gonna be okay while we’re gone?” she murmured in your ear. _

 

_ You laughed softly. “I’m gonna be fine Tuliana. I have classes at the dojo and that new internship at the  _ Observer _. I think I can manage five days without you. I do have other friends, you know.” _

 

_ Tuli pulled back in mock horror. “Other friends? You’ve been cheating on me?” _

 

_ You rolled your eyes, punching her arm lightly. “Come off it. You’ll always be my best friend and you know it.” _

 

_ Tuli smiled warmly and said, “And you’ll always be mine. Well, I’m off then. See you soon! Love you!” _

 

_ “Love you too! Have fun and be safe!” _

 

_ As they drove away, Tuli watched you disappear in the rearview mirror and then looked forward at the road ahead, ready for the next adventure.  _

 

_ ~ _

 

_ Tuli woke up in the tent, her head resting on Arthur’s chest. Their bodies were still entwined underneath the blanket and she sighed with pleasure at the feeling of being so close to him. She had just reflected on how she never wanted to get up when her gurgling stomach caused her eyes to snap open. She felt Arthur shaking and heard the rumble of laughter in his chest, indicating that he had heard it too. _

 

_ “You hungry?” he asked, still laughing.  _

 

_ “Nooooo…” Her stomach betrayed her by growling again. _

 

_ “Your stomach says otherwise.” _

 

_ She mumbled something under her breath about not wanting to get up, whining when Arthur started prying her arms from around his torso so he could stand up. Still laughing, he said, “We’ll have a quick snack and then we can come back in here and continue...mmmm...sleeping…” He nuzzled her neck as he said this, biting playfully at her earlobe. Tuli felt her body heat up suddenly but before she could further encourage him, he had stood up and started getting dressed.  _

 

_ Sighing in resignation, she got up as well and dressed in a pair of shorts and a too large T-shirt. As they stepped outside and Arthur bent down get the dying fire roaring again, Tuliana stared up at the sky in awe. It was still dark out and the stars were in full view. Though it was already their third night of camping, she still hadn’t gotten used to how many stars she could see so far from the city.  _

 

_ Leaning back into the tent, Tuli emerged with her camera and pointed it up towards the sky. After a few shots and several more minutes of just staring up at the sky, she jumped as she felt an arm wrap around her waist. She turned a wide smile on Arthur. _

 

_ “Isn’t it beautiful?” _

 

_ He smiled into her eyes and responded, “Yes, you are.” He kissed her forehead, hugging her close to him as they both looked up at the sky.  _

 

_ Suddenly, there was a loud cracking sound, like thunder. The sound shook the ground and trees around them, causing the pair to stumble a little. They looked around wildly in shock as the wind picked up as well. Their eyes came to stop at a point straight across the clearing, where a rippling seemed to be occurring, as well as long line like a crack was forming.  _

 

_ With another loud crack, the fissure ripped open with so much force that Arthur and Tuli were thrown back. When they had regained their footing and turned back towards the now swirling crack in space, their eyes widened with the sight they saw.  _

 

_ Out of the crack came a being like they had never seen before. At first glance, it was hard to distinguish a shape, as it almost looked like it was glitching, like a faulty character in a video game. However, as Tuli looked closer, she saw that it seemed to have the distinctive characteristic looks of a skeleton.  _

 

_ Though, instead of white, the figure was black, with a blue and yellow eye glowing at them from its left socket. Blue streaks ran down its face, almost as if it were crying. It seemed to be wearing some sort of black hoodie with blue lining and a shirt underneath, as well as a pair of shorts and...were those slippers? _

 

_ As the glitching figure emerged completely from the fissure in space, it turned its glowing eye towards them. Tuli instantly felt a stab of fear in her chest as she met that eye and the skeleton smiled at her. It was not a kind smile. _

 

_ Arthur shoved her behind him and stepped boldly forward. “Who are you, creature? Are you one of the monsters that we have heard of in only legends and history books? If so, how did you make it aboveground?” _

 

_ The skeleton fix its glowing eye on Arthur and did something that neither had expected: It laughed. Its laugh was about as pleasant as its smile. Add that to the fact that its voice glitched like its body and it sounded like a broken record player. An evil broken record player.  _

 

_ “I ca-an assur-re you hum-m-man-n, you have n-not h-heard of m-me-me-me in any of y-your hi-hi-history books-s-s.” Its glitching voice made it hard for them to understand it but they managed to make out the words. _

 

_ “Then what are you?” asked Tuli, causing Arthur to shoot a sharp glance her way. _

 

_ “I-I-I guess-s-s- you c-c-could sa-a-ay...I’m a-a-a mista-a-ak-ke…” _

 

_ “What does that mean?” _

 

_ The creature growled in frustration. “I-i-t-t m-mat-t-ters n-not. All that-t-t mat-t-ters-s-s is why I-I-I’m h-here.” _

 

_ And with that, it stuck out its hand and blue strands flew towards the pair. As they did, a glowing began to appear in Arthur’s chest, until a yellow heart was sitting just under the surface of his chest. However, they hardly had a chance to register this before the strands wrapped around the glowing heart tightly, lurching back towards the skeleton. As they did, they brought the glowing and Arthur with it, so that he was dangling in the air next to the skeleton. _

 

_ With a scream, Tuli lurched forward, her camera dropping from her hand. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! LET HIM GO!” she yelled frantically. But before she could take anymore steps forward, the skeleton’s hand tightened into a fist, causing Arthur to scream out in pain as he was raised higher into the air.  _

 

_ “Oh, I-I-I d-don’t th-think s-so. Y-you s-see, th-this t-timel-line is t-too-oo perfect-tt. T-t-too h-happy. It’s-s-s n-not-t fair t-to-o the others-s-s. It-t-t also l-leaves-s me w-with-thout-t a j-job-b to do here. I-I’v-ve b-been-n g-getting b-bored-d of it-t-t anyw-w-way. I f-figured-d th-this would-d-d b-be-e-e a f-fun-n little distaction-n-n.” _

 

_ “What do you mean? What do you want from us?!” _

 

_ The creature shot more blue strands at her; a light began to shine in her own chest, this one red and as the strands wrapped around the heart, she found herself suddenly unable to move. _

 

_ “I WANT TO DESTROY THIS TIMELINE AND ALL IT’S HAPPINESS!” The sudden power in the skeleton’s voice caused the glitch to temporarily go away. “AND YOU, MY DEAR, WILL HELP WITH THAT. ONCE I’VE MADE YOU WATCH YOUR HUSBAND’S DEATH!” _

 

_ And with that, chaos ensued. If Tuli could have screamed, it would have been bloodcurdling. The entire clearing was ripped apart as Arthur, her precious Arthur, was whipped around like a rag doll. With each hit and bash he endured, a bar would appear above his head, almost like a health bar in a video game and it was going down… _

 

_ The blood was pounding in Tuli’s ears as she struggled for some control of her limbs again. But the strands were like strings on a puppet and the skeleton was the puppeteer. His maniacal laughter echoed as he brought Arthur’s broken body high into the air and then finally allowed his strands let both of them go. But Tuli remained frozen as she watched Arthur come crashing to the ground.  _

 

_ Running to him, she cried out, collapsing next to him. She saw that his eyes were open and looking at her and for a moment she felt hope. “Don’t worry,” she cried through her tears. “I’ll get help!”  _

 

_ But before she could move away, he grabbed her arm with his broken and bloodied hand with a strength that should have been impossible for him at this point. As Tuli turned toward him, tears still streaming down her face, he reached for her face, just managing to stroke her cheek before his eyes closed and his arm fell to the ground. _

 

_ “NO! ARTHUR NO! WAKE UP!” She shook his chest, where the yellow heart was still glowing, though its light was becoming dull. As she watched, it rose out of his chest completely and began to quiver. Instinctively, she grabbed for it, feeling a sense of power course through her as she touched it. The heart was warm to the touch and stopped quivering once inside her hands. And at the same time, she heard Arthur, the man she loved more than anyone else, who had just been holding her and kissing her, filling her with happiness at the prospect of spending the rest of their lives together, take his last breath.  _

 

_ “NOOOOOO!” Though she dare not let go of the heart, she bent over his body and sobbed, placing kisses over his bloodied face as if it might bring him back. _

 

_ “I-t-tt i-ss d-don-n-ne. N-n-now, I-I w-w-i-i-l-l watch you all-ll destroy each-ch o-th-ther.” His words roused Tuliana and she stared up at him, anger sparking in her eyes, an anger that would stay with her for years. _

 

_ “I’m going to kill you,” she whispered through her tears.  _

 

_ “OH, IS THAT A PROMISE?” The skeleton laughed. His strands shot out again, this time grabbing the heart in Tuliana’s hands. “M-m-make s-sure y-you t-take g-good-d c-car-re of th-this-s-s. H-h-here, I-I’ll-ll h-help j-just th-this o-once.” More strands picked up an empty thermos nearby and he placed the yellow heart inside, sealing it shut within. _

 

_ “What are you doing?!” Tuliana ran at the skeleton but he just caught her in his puppet strings again.  _

 

_ “H-help-p-ping-g y-you of-f c-c-course. G-g-gott-tt-a g-g-ive you a fair ch-chance in-n y-y-our q-quest f-f-or rev-v-venge.” And with that, he through Tuli across the clearing, her head cracking against the ground. _

 

_ Her vision started to go dark. The last thing she saw before she lost consciousness was the skeleton stepping back into the crack in space, his laughter still echoing after it had sealed. Her last thought was that she would do whatever it took to find him again. She would find a way to make him pay for what’d he’d done. _

 

_ She was DETERMINED. _

* * *

 

As Tuliana finished her story,tears streaming down her face, all three listeners gaped at her in shock. You and Papyrus were also crying. As impossible as it all sounded, you had no doubts that Tuli was telling the truth.

 

Reaching over, you pulled Tuli into your embrace. This seemed to be too much for her and she suddenly burst into tears, her sobs echoing in the hospital room. Looking over the top of her head, you glared into Sans’ still shocked face.

  
“Sans, what the hell is on that memory chip?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys were able to read the way he spoke ok. I wanted to capture the way he spoke and that was the only way I knew how.
> 
> Also, a friend of mine on here has posted the first chapter of her first fanfic on this sight. She worked hard on it and it turned out awesome! Please check her out! Here is the link:  
>  http://archiveofourown.org/chapters/17426374?show_comments=true&view_full_work=false#comment_70998514
> 
> Happy reading!


	15. New Discoveries

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You talk to Tuli and arrive home from the hospital

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know why this took me so long. I was able to stay in today so I of course thought that I'd go ahead and work on my chapter. Didn't think it'd take me all afternoon. I'm usually able to finish a chapter in four hours...but anyway, here it is. It's mostly filler, more things plot wise should be happening next chapter. Hope you guys like it; happy reading.
> 
> Corrections and feedback appreciated.

Unfortunately, before Sans could answer you, a stern-looking nurse came in and started ushering the skele-bros out, saying how visiting hours were over and insisting that you needed rest. While Sans seemed almost glad to being forced to leave, Papyrus resisted, looking back at you like he was afraid he’d never see you again if he left. You smile encouragingly at him, telling him that he could come back tomorrow if he wanted to. Nodding, he reluctantly allowed himself to be pushed out the door.

 

Grumbling to herself, the nurse came back in and started checking your monitors, as well as the bag of blood that had already been drained. Stating that, while you were still low, you had a sufficient amount of blood back in your system, the nurse went to remove the needle from your arm. It was then that she seemed to notice Tuli for the first time wrapped in your arms, still crying quietly.

 

Seeing this, her face softened. “Sweetie, I’m sorry but I need you to leave. You can back tomorrow morning to see her.”

 

Nodding into your side, Tuli sniffled and made as if to get up but you just held on tighter, not letting her leave. Looking back to the nurse, you ask, “Please ma’am, can’t she stay? I know that there are cots meant for family staying the night.”

 

“Yes, but as you said, those are for _family_. As far as we know, she has no relation to you—”

 

“—but she is the closest thing I have to family and she needs me right now. Please, can’t some exception be made?”

 

You stare at the nurse as she considers the two of you, thinking. Finally, she nods. “Very well. As no one else has come forward claiming to be a family member, I think it’s safe to say that she is all that you have. And I don’t see how it would hinder your recovery, especially if you’re asking for her to stay.”

 

Her face softened some more. “Besides, I saw her in here as she waited for you to wake up. I saw more love there than I have in many family members of the patients here. I’ll just need to go get the cot for her to sleep on.”

 

She stepped out of the room and came back several minutes later with a few other nurses, carrying in the cot and placing it beside your bed, along with a pillow and set of blankets. Looking at the two of you once more, she smiled softly and said, “If you need me, just press the button beside your bed and I or one of my colleagues will be here within moments.” And with that, she switched of the light to the room and closed the door behind her.

 

“Did you really mean that?” Tuli’s voice came out quiet and hesitant, like she was still trying to get her crying under control.

 

Looking down at her, you asked, “Mean what?”

 

“You know what. What you said about me. About me being the closest thing you have to family.”

 

“Oh...of course I did. Are you really surprised by that? I’ve said that about you dozens of times. Even my parents, before all the shit went down with them, used to say how you and I were like sisters.”

 

“Sisters...right…” Suddenly, Tuli starts crying again, harder and louder than before, hugging you so tightly that you can hardly breathe.

 

“Tuli! What’s the matter? Ow! Sweetie, you’re hurting me.” You gasp in pain as she squeezes the spot where your stab wound is. Though it is healed, it was still quite tender. Immediately, Tuli let’s go, looking up at you in horror, tears still streaming down her face.

 

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry! Are you okay? What did I do? I keep hurting you, I’m so sorry…” Her sobs continued anew, though this time she settles with just crying into your side.

 

You like down at her incredulously. “What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“It’s my fault that you were out there in the first place! I was blinded by my anger and jealousy and I took it out on you! You said that people could be after you and what did I do? I just let you walk out!”

 

“Oh...right…” The conversation you’d had with Tuli yesterday had gone from your mind but now it all came rushing back. You shift uncomfortably “Were you...I mean...did you…”

 

“Did I mean what I said?”

 

You nod mutely.

 

She exhaled loudly, as though she were steeling herself. “Yes, I did. At least, I think I did.”

 

You frowned. “You think?”

 

“I guess...I’m just confused. For two years, I was nowhere near happy. I thought that once I’d had my revenge, all of that would change, that I didn’t need anybody. My life was becoming darker everyday and I didn’t think anything was wrong. But then I came back and you just made everything bright again. For the first time in two years, I was able to smile and laugh again. My second night back, when you climbed into bed with me because I was having that nightmare... I remember feeling something. And then, the other night, when I saw you kissing Papyrus, I just felt...I don’t know how to describe it...like…” She made a motion towards her chest.

 

“Like a hole had been ripped inside your chest?” You provided drily.

 

“Yes! How did you...oh…”

 

You frown again, cocking your head. “Did you know?”

 

“Yes,” she said quietly.

 

You inhale sharply. “For how long? How did you find out? And why didn’t you ever say anything?”

 

“I knew for awhile. As to how I found out, you were my best friend ____, I knew you better than anybody else, I could see it in your face, in the way you acted. And I didn’t say anything because I found out after Arthur came into the picture and I didn’t know how to bring it up without hurting you more. So I guess I just tried to pretend like it wasn’t true.”

 

“I see…” You didn’t know what to say. You weren’t mad exactly...you just found the whole situation extremely ironic and more than a little frustrating.

 

Sighing deeply, you ask, “What exactly do you feel...for me?”

 

Tuli frowned. “What do you mean?”

 

You take a deep breath. “Tuli, I was in love with you. Wholly and completely. You said you _wanted_ me. That does not necessarily mean that you are in love with me. Or is it the idea of me?”

 

“I’m...not sure I understand…”

 

“You said that since coming home and being around me, you have been happier than you’ve been for two years. But you also spent two years shutting people out; you didn’t let anybody who could possibly give you happiness in. Believe me, I remember how much it hurt to see what had happened to you because of it and I’m so happy that I was able to help bring light back into your life. But who else have you interacted with other than me? Like, socially?”

 

“Ummm…”

 

“Exactly. You haven’t given anybody else a chance. Are you sure you just weren’t blindsided by how everything has changed since then?”

 

“Are you saying that you think I don’t love you?”

 

You give her a small smile. “Depends on what you mean by love. I know I still love you. I’m just no longer in love with you. And I’m sorry if that comes out as harsh, I just didn’t want to spend my life pining for you. And Papyrus…”

 

“Are you in love with him?” You think you hear a hint of sadness in Tuli’s voice.

 

You squint, contemplating. “I’m not sure if I’m quite there yet. But for the first time in a long time, I feel like I could be, given time. Before, when I started to like someone, I would get scared and back out before it could go anywhere. But when I think about a future with him...it doesn’t scare me like it usually does. I don’t think I would mind having a future with him.” You smile, feeling a burning in your cheeks as you add, “He makes me happy.”

 

You looked at Tuli to see that her eyes were glistening again but the look in her eyes wasn’t all sadness; there was also joy. She stretched up to kiss you on your forehead, looking into your eyes. “Good. You deserve to be happy. And I can’t deny that he has a good heart...a good Soul.” Her expression suddenly became deadly serious. “However, if he hurts you in anyway, I promise that I will personally make sure that he regrets it.”

 

That yellow glow comes back to her eyes, along with a hint of red, and you laugh nervously. She cracks a tight smile, the glowing fading back to her usual color.

 

The two of you sit there in silence for a while. You eyes starting to grow heavy, you felt your head droop onto Tuli’s shoulder. She shifted so that you were able to rest more comfortably on her, reaching her hand up so that she was stroking your hair, something she knew made you fall asleep almost instantly.

 

As you faded into sleep, you thought you heard her say, “Good night, ___. Love you.” You tried to mumble, “Love you too,” back but weren’t sure if you got it out before you fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

 

The next morning, Papyrus came bursting into your room just after you had finished getting dressed into regular clothes. Seeing that you were standing, if a little unsteadily and holding onto Tuli’s hand for support, he rushed at you and lifted you up off your feet, ignoring Tuli’s protest of, “Papyrus!”

 

Hugging you to his chest, Papyrus kissed you hard. Your response was immediate; your arms wrapped around him and as you returned the kiss, he became gentler. You inhaled deeply, taking in his scent. It was a mixture of tomato sauce and something else that was familiar but you couldn’t place. You weren’t sure how long the two of you were like that but suddenly someone cleared their throat loudly. The two of you sprang apart, though Papyrus still managed not to drop you.

 

You both turned to see the nurse from the night before standing in the doorway with an amused smile on her face, though she was trying to cover it with her stern look. She had brought in the wheelchair meant to take you out of the hospital. Looking around, you saw that Tuli had averted her eyes, her face a little pink but also trying not to smile. Your own face flushed. What was it about Papyrus that made you forget about everyone else in the room?

 

Clearing your own throat, you said, “Um, it’s great to see you Pap. Can you put me down now? I have to leave the hospital in the wheelchair.”

 

Instead of putting you down on the ground so you could make your own way to the wheelchair, Papyrus adjusted so that he was carrying you bridal style and placed you into the chair. As he stood up, his grin wide, you felt your face grow even warmer. You saw Tuli now trying to suppress giggles.

 

Sighing, you smiled up at Papyrus. “Thank you Pap. I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon today. Did you catch the bus?”

 

“NO I NEVER LEFT, ____.”

 

You blinked. “What do you mean? You spent the night here?”

 

“PRECISELY!”

 

“In the waiting room?! But why? Is Sans still here too?”

 

“OH NO! MY BROTHER SAID HE NEEDED TO ATTEND TO SOME THINGS AND SAID THAT HE’D MEET US LATER! AND I STAYED BECAUSE I WANTED TO REMAIN AS CLOSE TO YOU AS I COULD BE AND BE HERE FOR WHEN THEY ALLOWED ME BACK IN!”

 

“Wow. You didn’t have to do that Papy. Those chairs couldn’t have been comfortable.”

 

Papyrus’ smile became tender and his voice soft. “I did not mind, ____. I was able to sleep peacefully knowing that I could be here in a moment if you needed me.” He cupped your cheek with his hand and you leaned into it, closing your eyes and smiling, that swelling sensation coming to your chest.

 

“I think it’s time for us to go ____,” you heard Tuli say, causing you to jump.

 

“Oh, right. Sorry.” You looked up at the nurse apologetically. “I’m ready.”

 

And with that, the four of you made your way out of the hospital. Once Tuli had retrieved the car, Papyrus helped you in, though not before you turned around to thank the nurse for everything.

 

“My pleasure sweetie. Best of luck to you.”

 

And off you were. It had been awhile since you had been the one in the passenger seat (at least in the case where you weren’t unconscious) and enjoyed looking out the window as the scenery went by.

 

You arrived at your apartment building. Reaching the outside staircase that led to your floor, you glanced up wearily, suddenly really wishing that you weren’t on the fourth floor. The doctor had warned you that because of your blood loss, you would be experiencing fatigue at a faster rate for a few days, even with your blood transfusion. Still, you drew yourself up, wanting to at least try to make it up on your own. You started up, Papyrus and Tuli following closely behind you, both keep a close on eye on you.

 

However, by the time you had made it halfway up the second flight of stairs, you were already breathing hard and had to stop for a moment. But before you could continue up, you felt Papyrus sweep you up into his arms for the second time that day and continue the climb up.

 

“Papyrus! I can make it up by myself!”

 

“THE EXERTION IS CLEARLY EXHAUSTING YOU AND YOUR BODY HAS BEEN THROUGH ENOUGH!”

 

“But I—”

 

“NO ___! I WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BRING FURTHER HARM TO YOURSELF BY PUSHING YOURSELF BEYOND YOUR CURRENT LIMITS!”

 

You looked at Tuli and saw that you wouldn’t be getting any help from her. When did she suddenly become so agreeable with Pap? Sighing, you let the matter drop and leaned your head onto Papyrus’ chest and spent the rest of the walk up trying to figure out the second half of Papyrus’ scent.

 

When you all reached your door, Papyrus still didn’t let you go. Instead, he waited for Tuli to unlock the door and carried you in, placing you on the couch. As soon as he deposited you on there, you shivered as his warmth left you.

 

“ARE YOU COLD?”

 

“No, I’m okay Pap—” But before you could finish the sentence, you felt something being wrapped around you. It took you a moment before you realized that it was Papyrus’ scarf, which was so big on you that it acted as more of a blanket.

 

You were so surprised you didn’t protest. As you nestled into the scarf, you suddenly figured out what the second half of the scent was. Papyrus smelled like a mixture of tomato sauce and a cinnamon roll. As the thought occurred to you, you smiled at how apt a description that was for him. Papyrus was a cinnamon roll. Your precious cinnamon roll…

 

You felt the couch shift as Papyrus sat next to you. You thought he looked strange without his scarf. Turning into him, you cuddled into his chest, muttering, “Precious cinnamon roll…” under your breath.

 

“WHAT WAS THAT?”

 

You smiled yourself. “Nothing. Just a new nickname for you.”

 

“OH REALLY? AND WHAT IS IT?”

 

Your smile widened. “Nope, not telling.”

 

His eye-ridges went up. “Oh really?” His voice had lowered and he leaned into your ear. “Sure I can’t get it out of you?” His voice had become a low growl. Your eyes widened; you had never heard him growl before. He started kissing you up your neck, making his way to your jaw line. “Come on, tell me,” he whispered.

 

Your breath hitching, you managed to get out a weak, “No,” before his teeth reached your lips and he started kissing you, going slowly. You had never suspected that Papyrus would be so...good at this. As the kiss deepened, you rolled so that you were more on top of him. He was holding you tightly, his hand under your shirt and rubbing at your new scar. You had never been kissed like this before and you sensed something underneath it, some desperation that Pap had been feeling. Just as you were getting ready to deepen it even more, for the second time that day, someone interrupted you..

* * *

  


Sans had finally managed to buck up the courage to make his way to your place. After last night’s rather unexpected turn of events, the thought of facing you and Tuli again made him a little nervous. He felt horrible. Yet again, he had jumped to conclusions. But he still needed to figure out who was behind the attacks and he had a new suspect now. But he needed Tuli’s help.

 

Sighing, he took a shortcut to your apartment, landing just outside your living room. The sight that met his eyes made him strongly wish that he had landed outside your door and knocked. He saw you and his brother—his baby bones of a brother—making out. Quite….passionately. He couldn’t help it. He screamed.

 

The two of you sprang apart instantly, you looking both shocked and annoyed, Papyrus actually looking a little exasperated, as though he were getting tired of being interrupted. Catching sight of him, both you and Papyrus blushed.

 

“What are you doing here Sans?” you sputtered. At that moment, Tuli came running out, a towel barely wrapped around her.

 

“What happened? I heard a scream.”

 

And Sans promptly screamed again, covering his eyes, blushing a dark shade of blue. “Tuliana!” you exclaimed, moving to cover Papyrus’ eyes as well, though he had already looked away, his orange blush becoming deeper.

 

“I’m here so that I can show you all the memory chip. I’m sorry that I chose such an inopportune time. I will knock next time, I promise.” Sans held up the memory chip, keeping one hand over his eyes.

 

Ten minutes later, Tuliana was dressed and you were all surrounding your computer, the memory chip inside it. As Sans brought up the file with the pictures, Tuli gasped at the first one that came up, which was of her, in her wedding dress, and Arthur at the altar.

 

“I took that picture…” he heard you say quietly.

 

Quickly, he went back to the folder and clicked on thumbnails so that he was able to see the picture before he clicked on it. Finally finding one with a good view of the thing that had murdered Tuli’s husband, he clicked on it. This time, you were the one to gasp aloud.

 

“That really does bear a strong resemblance to you Sans,” you said.

 

“But it’s _not_ me. Look at him. He looks like...a glitch. Like he was a mistake made in a video game. An…”

 

“Error,” said Tuli. “He’s like an error version of you.” Now that she was seeing it again, she could see just how different the real Sans and the...Error Sans looked. While there were many similarities, there were several very distinct differences. Looking at his face brought back all the anger and hatred at once and she started to shake.

 

“Tuli…” you placed your hand on her shoulder. You could tell that she was resisting the urge to pull away.

 

“I want him dead ____.”

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll find him.” You all looked at Sans in surprise.

 

“ _We’ll_ find him?” Tuliana asked incredulously.

 

Sans nodded vigorously. He pointed at the photo. “Since you told us everything that happened that night, I now believe that he is the one that has been taking the monsters. He’s actually probably been doing it in a pattern that he knew would make me suspect you, if his goal was for us to tear each other apart.”

 

“And you think you can find him?”

 

Sans nodded again. “Now that I know what to look for, I’ll be able to specifically look for spots where magic has been used in excess.”

 

“But there are monsters everywhere who can use magic,” you said. “How will you be able to pinpoint whether it’s him?”

 

“Well, for one, his will likely be a much stronger signature if he's been ripping holes in the fabric of space. And plus, I’m going to make sure I know exactly what his magic feels like, so I’ll know it when I see it.”

 

“And how are you going to do that?”

 

“By going to the one place we know for sure that he appeared. The clearing where he attacked Arthur and Tuli.” He looked right at Tuli as he said this.

  
“And I’m going to need your help to do it.”


	16. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You have your first date with Papyrus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I meant to move the plot forward with this chapter. I had it all planned out. But when I started writing, the intimate scene with Pap got long and I realized that the first date had yet to happen and that to postpone it til after would be kind of weird. Also, the thought of writing out the first date got me really excited. So I moved what was supposed to be on this chapter to the next and made this one all about you and Papyrus. I'm sorry for delaying the move forward but I'm already halfway done with the next chapter so hopefully I can get that up soon! Thank you for your patience with this update as well. I go home tomorrow so hopefully my update schedule becomes more regular.
> 
> I hope you like the chapter and corrections and feedback appreciated as always!

After Sans’ rather dramatic statement and much discussion, it was decided that you would all head up in about a week to Mt. Ebott. The only reason that Sans and Tuli agreed to wait this long was because you insisted on coming and you still needed time to recover. In your current state, you couldn’t even climb two flights of stairs without needing to stop to rest. You definitely weren’t up to hiking up a mountain. While this was a source of great frustration, there was nothing anybody could do about it.

When you were all done talking, Sans realized that he was late for one of his jobs and took one of his shortcuts, saying that he’d keep in touch so plans could be finalized. You were now in your room, about to start getting ready to hop in the shower, when you heard a knock on your door. When you opened it, you found Papyrus standing there, a set look on his face.

“Oh, hey Pap. What’s up?”

“___, MAY I COME IN?”

“Uh...sure.”

As Papyrus stepped inside your bedroom, you saw Tuliana glancing around the corner of the hallway, an unreadable expression on her face. You gave her a look and mouthed, “What?” at her but she just raised an eyebrow at you and retreated. Frowning a little, you closed the door behind you and turned to Papyrus, who was now standing by your bed, glancing curiously around. A set of photos on your bureau seemed to have caught his attention.

“Sooo...what’s up Pap?” you asked again. The sound of your voice made him jump a little.

“OH. WELL, I WAS WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE OKAY FOR ME TO STAY? I FIND THAT I AM NOT YET QUITE...COMFORTABLE WITH LETTING YOU OUT OF MY SIGHT.”

You blinked. Was Papyrus asking if he could stay the night? Here? You felt your heart contract a little as panic fluttered through you. Papyrus seemed to notice the look of discomfort on your face.

“I DO NOT MEAN TO PRESUME THAT I WOULD BE STAYING IN HERE. I WOULD BE QUITE FINE ON THE COUCH. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BE NEAR YOU TONIGHT.”

You felt your face reddening. “Uh...sure Paps. My couch is a pull-out so I would just need to set it up for you. Do you mind if I take a shower first? You could use it too if you’d like. I’m sure I have some baggy clothes around here somewhere that would fit you,” you added.

An orange blush dusted Papyrus’ cheeks. You frowned and asked, “What?” Then you thought over what you had said and your eyes widened. “Oh! No! I meant after! I mean...not that I wouldn’t...or that I don’t...just not yet….” your voice trailed off. Papyrus’ face was now completely orange and you were sure your’s was just as red.

“I’m...gonna go take a shower now...you can stay in here for now if you want. I won’t be long.” you mumbled in a rush, moving to grab your PJs and practically running to the door of your bathroom. As you showered, you went over the scene in your head and seriously considered bashing your head on the wall. You wondered if was possible to drown in the shower…

Sighing, you turned off the water and got dressed. When you stepped out of the bathroom, your hair wrapped in a towel, you saw Papyrus sitting on your bed, a picture frame in his hands. On closer inspection, you saw that it was of you as a kid with your parents. You cleared your throat to get Pap’ attention and he looked up at you. When he saw the towel on your head, he frowned, seeming concerned.

“____, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOUR HAIR?”

Laughing, you took the towel from atop your head, saying, “Nothing Pap. It’s just wet so I wrapped it in a towel to help it dry.” Your wet hair fell in tangles onto your shoulders; you grabbed a brush and started working your way through them, squeezing the towel through it some more to get any excess water.

Pap seemed amazed for a moment and then went back to looking at the picture. “WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE WITH LITTLE YOU?” he asked.

“My parents.”

His sockets widened. “WHY HAVE I NEVER MET THEM?”

“That’s, uh, a long story. Suffice it to say, they’re old fashioned and don’t agree with my relationship choices. We’re not on speaking terms right now.”

Papyrus’ eyes went black and he looked sad. “Is it because of me?” he asked quietly.

Your own eyes widened and you rushed to the bed. “No Papy, of course not. This has been an issue for years. My parents just can’t accept something that is part of who I am and I decided that I wasn’t going to make myself miserable for them.”

Now he looked angry. “SHAME ON THEM FOR NOT LOVING THEIR CHILD FOR WHO THEY ARE! I AM GLAD THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO DISTANCE YOURSELF, FOR THEY DO NOT DESERVE A DAUGHTER SUCH AS YOU!”

You blinked, a little shocked. That was a little strange of Papyrus; something was different about him...

Brushing it off for now, you smiled sadly at him."Thanks Pap. It does get hard sometimes though. I still love them and I miss them. We used to be very close.” You looked down as you felt a pin pricking sensation in your eyes. But then you felt Papyrus’ hand lifting your chin up and you saw that he too had a sad smile.

“I understand, ___,” he said, his voice quiet again. “I too miss my parents, though I can barely remember them. Sans can but he doesn’t like talking about them.” You felt the tears threatening to spill over and you pulled back, wiping away at them quickly.

“I’m so sorry Pap, I never knew that.” He just sort of shrugged and the two of you stared at each other for several moments. Finally, you cleared your throat again. “So, did you want to take a shower? I know you spent the night at the hospital last night. Do you even need to shower?” You added the question as an afterthought, suddenly unsure.

Papyrus laughed. “YES I SHOWER. AND I WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL TO USE YOUR’S!”

“Okay, great. You go ahead and get started and I’ll get you a towel and see if I can find you an extra pair of clothes. We can throw those in the wash if you’d like.”

“THANK YOU ___! I WOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL FOR THAT AS WELL.” He gave you a swift kiss and then marched towards the bathroom door. Giggling a little, you went out into the hall to grab a towel and take out the sheets for the pull-out bed in the couch. You put the sheets on the couch, deciding you’d come back to that later and went back to your room. You managed to find a very baggy shirt and some large gym shorts in your drawers that you thought might fit Pap.

Cracking the door to the bathroom, you placed the towel and clothes on the vanity, quickly shutting it again. With a tired sigh, you lay on your bed. Thinking that you’d rest your eyes while you waited, you closed them and before you knew it, you were drifting off.

You woke with a start when you felt the bed shifting. You opened your eyes to see Papyrus trying to move the covers carefully so as to put them over you and not wake you up. You laughed and he looked up at you with a sheepish smile. Seeing him in the baggy shirt and shorts, you thought he looked quite cute. You had rarely seen him outside of his armor and never in something so casual. He seemed almost naked and you blushed at the thought.

Moving over, you patted the bed, indicating that you wanted him to come on. His eyes wide, he climbed on and you quickly moved to wrap your arms around him. He wrapped his tightly around you too and you lay like that for several minutes. You realized that he was shaking.

“Pap, are you all right?”

“I just...I can’t help going over everything that happened.”

You looked up at him. “What do you mean?”

He looked down at you, a sort of fear in his eyes. “I almost lost you. When that man hurt you...I wanted to kill him, ____. I would have, if it weren’t for Sans. I’ve never felt such anger before. Such _power_.” An orange light had started glowing softly in Papyrus’ right eye and watched him in amazement. “I hate that I felt that way but I know if you had died, I would have gone back and finished what I started.”

You sat up, caressing Papyrus’ face. “But I didn’t. And _you_ didn’t. You _saved_ me Papyrus. Did you even know you could do healing magic?”

He shook his head. “I just knew that I needed to help you and I felt this sort of burning sensation in my eye and chest and it just happened. I reached out to you and called to for you to come back.”

“I heard you. And here I am. Because of you.” You kissed him, deeply, and he kissed you back, that same desperation from before showing itself. He held you tightly to him and rolled you onto your back so that he was on top and started kissing your neck. Your breath hitched and you gasped out, “Door...unlocked….” You saw, out of the corner of your eye, an orange glow and heard a click. You wouldn’t be interrupted this time.

Your turned your head so that he was kissing your lips again. You opened your mouth a little, flicking your tongue against his teeth. He froze for a second and then began kissing you even more enthusiastically, his teeth opening your mouth more. You saw another orange glow and felt as his tongue pushed its way into your mouth. You took a moment to ponder how it was there but all thoughts dashed from your mind as you met him. The two of you kept on like that for a while, your hands moving beneath his shirt, exploring and marveling at the feeling of his spine and ribs, as his did the same with yours. You again marveled at how adept he seemed to be at this as he let out another growl. You didn’t slow down for several minutes and even then, you weren’t quite finished.

Finally, the two of you breathing hard, you separated. Papyrus started kissing you along your face as you snuggled into him. He ended with kissing your forehead and held you. After several moments passed, in which you had started to fall asleep again, he whispered, “Shall I go out to the couch so you can sleep?”

You answered by shaking your head and holding him tighter. He laughed softly and said, “Okay then...I suppose I’m staying here after all. Good night, my human.” And with that, he started stroking your head and you drifted off to sleep in his arms, feeling happier than you had ever been.

* * *

 

_ You were alone in the darkness. _

 

_ All around you there was whispering and dark laughter. It took you a moment to realize what was being said. _

 

_ “It’s almost time. Everything is falling into place. And you’re gonna help me with the grand finale.” _

 

_ The laughter got louder and a face suddenly appeared before you, its wide grin snapping at you. _

 

* * *

 

You woke with a start, your heart racing and sweat running down your back. You frowned as you struggled to remember what you were dreaming about. It was then that you realized that you were still snuggled into Papyrus’ chest and the events from last night came rushing back, distracting you from trying to remember. Your face warmed and you couldn’t help a smile forming on your lips. You buried your face deeper into his chest, inhaling deeply. You felt his chest shaking and heard the rumble of his laughter through his chest. Your smile becoming wider, you looked up to see that Papyrus was gazing at you, amusement on his face.

“Good morning,” he said, leaning down to give you a kiss.

“Hmmm...morning,” you mumbled against his lips. “How long have you been awake?”

He shrugged. “A few hours. I’m usually an early riser.”

Your eyes widened. “A few hours? But what have you been doing?”

Papyrus leaned down to nuzzle your neck. “Mmmm, I found that I like watching you sleep. You were rather restless all night and you only just were able to really sleep peacefully a few hours ago, I did not wish to disturb you. Plus, I rather enjoy your arms around me.”

You giggled. “Oh, do you? I should do it more often then.”

“I agree. But I have also been thinking and I realized something.”

“And what is that?”

“We have yet to have our first date.”

You blinked. He was right. Though the two of you had shared a few intimate moments in the last several days (had it really only been days since that first kiss?), you guys hadn’t gone on an actual date yet. Of course, recent events hadn’t exactly left time for a date. But it was still strange to think that it hadn’t happened yet.

“Hm. We should fix that…” you said thoughtfully.

“My thoughts exactly.”

You frowned. “But is now a good time, with everything going on?”

“I feel that now is the best time. Before we all get caught up in the search and get too busy. We should take this week we have to make time for us.”

Smiling, you said, “You’re right.”

The stars that you loved so much appeared in Papyrus’ eyes and his grin widened. Sitting up straighter so he could look you more fully in the face. “THEN, ____, WILL YOU GRANT ME THE HONOR OF GOING ON A DATE WITH YOU?!”

Laughing, you answered, “The honor would be mine, O Great Papyrus.”

His eyes sparkling, Papyrus let out a joyful, “NYEH HEH HEH!”

* * *

 

Papyrus left not long after that so that he could “prepare” for your date. The two of you had decided to have the date in your apartment and cook for each other. You had a pasta dish that you wanted to make for him and you had an idea for dessert that you found rather amusing.

After making a list of what you’d need, you went to look for your keys but couldn’t find them. You called out to Tuli in her room, “Tuli, where are my car keys?”

She stuck her head out, a frown on her face. “Why do you need them?”

“I need to go to the store to pick up some stuff for my and Paps’ date tonight.”

“Oh. I’ll take you,” she responded, emerging completely from her room.

You raised an eyebrow. “I am perfectly capable of going to the grocery store on my own, thank you very much.”

She shrugged. “I know, but I’d feel better if I came with you. People are still likely after you and I will not risk you getting hurt again.”

You sighed, knowing that you weren’t going to win this argument. “Fine, but can I at least drive my own car?” you asked, holding your hand out for the keys. After a moment, Tuli grudgingly handed your keys over. And with a thank you, you turned on your heel, heading for the door.

You found that you were glad for her company, as you did get several looks at the store, most just curious but many hostile as well. You were glad to leave and head back home. As you were driving, a thought occurred to you.

“Um, Tuli?”

“Yeah?”

“Uh, would it be okay if you weren’t in the apartment during the date? Pap and I haven’t really had a lot of time alone and I would like it to be just us tonight.”

Tuli raised an eyebrow. “What, didn’t get enough alone time last night?”

“ _What?_ ” You started sputtering but Tuliana just burst into laughter.

“I’m kidding, sweetie. I understand. I’m behind on some work anyway; I need to finish some layout for the magazine. Plus, I haven’t gone out to train in a while; I need to make sure I’m as sharp as ever.”

You cast a curious glance at her, wanting to ask what she did for “training,” but deciding to leave it for a later discussion. Your mind was too preoccupied with the approaching date. “Okay, thank you Tuli.”

* * *

 

After helping you prepare the dessert for tonight, Tuli left the apartment at around 5:30 and you took the little bit of time you had alone to try and calm your nerves. You stood in front of your full length mirror, fidgeting with the simple red dress you had on. You rarely wore dresses, so it felt a little weird.

As you stood there, your hand rose to hover over where your new scar was. With everything that had been going on and as you’d never had a moment alone since, you hadn’t had a lot of time to think about what had happened. You thought about what Papyrus had said about you being restless last night and how you had woken up. Closing your eyes, you saw scenes flash before you; as the moment the man had stabbed you came to your mind, you felt the phantom of the pain of the knife entering you  and faces flashed before you. Gasping, your eyes flew open as you staggered back into your bed, your hand coming to rest on something.

 

Looking down, you saw that it was Papyrus’ scarf; he had forgotten it here. Picking it up, you lifted it to your nose and inhaled his scent. A sense of safety immediately surrounded you. Smiling, you put it on; it matched the dress perfectly.

 

You went out to the kitchen to start taking out cookware. You hoped Papyrus brought some of his own; you didn’t think you had enough for both of you to be cooking your dishes at once.

At exactly six o’clock, the doorbell rang. Practically running to the door, you took a moment to compose yourself before throwing it open with a wide grin. Papyrus stood there, his usual grin upon his stark white face, holding a large pot before him with several tools and ingredients within it.

 

“GREETINGS, ____! ARE YOU REA—WOWIE ___! YOU LOOK AMAZING!” Papyrus’ sockets widened as his eyes traveled from your black flats up to your face, which you had applied a small amount of make up to. Your face warmed at the compliment.

 

“Thanks Pap. You look great to!” And he did. He was wearing a buttoned up, red collared shirt and dark jeans, his usual red boots partially hidden underneath them.

 

“WHY THANK YOU! I HOPED I HAD ACQUIRED THE CORRECT ATTIRE FOR OUR DATE!” His eyes flicked down to your neck and his grin grew, incredibly, even wider. “I SEE YOU HAVE DAINED TO WEAR MY SCARF!”

 

Looking down, you said, “Oh, yeah, I hope that’s all right. If you want, I can give it back—“

“OH NO ___! PLEASE KEEP IT ON! I FIND THAT I LIKE IT MUCH BETTER ON YOU THAN ON MYSELF!”

 

Giggling, you stepped back to let him in and you both headed into the kitchen. As you both started cooking, you realized just how small your kitchen was as you both tried to move around each other. But you had fun with it, bumping each other with your hips as you walked by. You had both donned aprons and Papyrus had his chef’s hat on.

 

Though you had witnessed a few times by now how Papyrus made his spaghetti, you couldn’t help but laugh as he mashed the tomatoes with his fists. You squealed as juice spurted everywhere. You wished that your dish was a bit messier so that you had something to smear on him but you settled with using his own spaghetti sauce.

 

You dipped your finger in the bowl and dragged it across his face. This resulted in a bit of a food fight as he tried to do the same to you but you resisted, ducking under his arm and adding another smear to the other side of his face. However, as you were laughing, he caught you by smearing his whole hand down your face, causing your laughter to turn into a gasp of shock.

A truce was eventually called so that you both could continue cooking. As you cooked, a wide grin stayed on your face. You felt giddy, your heart fluttering every time you looked at Papyrus or he brushed against you.

 

Finally, the two of you managed to finish. You both set plates for each other. Your dish was spaghetti noodles with sausage, onions, and cabbage cooked and mixed with it. Though Papyrus had seemed apprehensive at the rather unhealthy ingredients you had put, particularly the large spoonfuls of butter, the delicious smell coming from his plate had him hovering over your shoulder with anticipation.

 

Setting the plates on the table, you went back into the kitchen to put in the dessert to bake; the dough had needed time to rise and now it could bake as the two of you ate. Taking off your apron, you washed your hands and face then went to join Papyrus at the dinner table.

 

His sockets widened and turned into stars as he took the first mouthful. “WOWIE, I HAD NO IDEA YOU TOO WERE SO GREAT AT MAKING DELICIOUS PASTA DISHES!”

 

You ducked your head at the praise, muttering that it was a recipe your mother had taught you. “It used to be one of my favorite meals and it’s one of the few things I can make without burning.”

 

After that, the two of you talked animatedly as you ate. Talking was something you found you had very little trouble doing with Papyrus. He was so easy to talk to that time just seemed to fly by, making you forget about everything else…

 

Papyrus, with his keener sense of smell, noticed it first. His face scrunching up, he asked, “UH, ____? IS THE DESSERT SUPPOSED TO SMELL LIKE THAT?”

 

“Huh? What’re you—OH NO!” You leapt from the table and dashed to the oven, where smoke was starting to rise. Turning it off, you put on mitts and opened the door, causing more smoke to billow out. It was a miracle the smoke alarm didn’t go off. Taking the burnt tray of dessert, you set it on the stove and stared at it forlornly, letting out a mournful, “Nooooo!”

 

Papyrus had come up behind you and was staring curiously at the blackened tray. “IS DESSERT READY THEN? WHAT IS IT?”

 

Fighting back tears, you said, “It was supposed to be cinnamon rolls! I thought it’d be funny but I forgot to set a timer and I lost track of time and now they’re ruined!” You resisted the urge to stomp your foot.

 

Papyrus frowned. “WHY DID YOU THINK IT WOULD BE FUNNY TO HAVE CINNAMON ROLLS FOR DESSERT?”

 

“It doesn’t matter now,” you half sobbed, your frustration making it hard to hold back the tears. “I’ve ruined them and our date!”

 

His sockets widening, Pap took your face in both of his hands, lifting it so that you were looking at him. “Do not think that for a moment! I have had a wonderful time and there is no way a few blackened rolls are going to ruin that!”

 

Sniffling, you asked, “Really? You sure?”

 

“OF COURSE I AM SURE! YOU ARE, AFTER ALL, MEETING ALL MY STANDARDS!”

 

You giggled at this, causing Papyrus’ grin to become wide and his stars to become bright in his sockets. Looking up into his face, you went up onto your tiptoes and kissed him. Papyrus, caught off guard, took a moment to respond but when he did, he did so enthusiastically.

 

Wrapping his arms around you, he lifted you so that your feet were off the ground. Squealing a little against his mouth, you did not stop as he carried you to the couch. All thoughts of the burnt rolls dashed from your mind, you allowed yourself to get lost in the kiss as it deepened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, some of you may have heard of EvergreenEmerald. If anything, you probably recognize her as the person I gifted this to; if you do know her, you probably recognize me as the person leaving corrections in her comment sections, lol. Anyway, she's an awesome writer and if you haven't already, you should definitely check her out. She has 7 fics so far and the newest is based on Mafiatale! Only the first chapter is up as of right now but if you've read her stuff, you know she doesn't go long in between updates. It's called Dusting for PUNishment and it's a Sans/Reader. And she has plenty more where that came from!
> 
> Happy reading!


	17. Up the Mountain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's finally time to head up the mountain and look for some answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaaaahhhh, I'm soooo soooorrrryyy! I know it's been a long time since the last update. I had issues coming home and then when I did get home, I had to deal with school stuff, which starts next week for me. It's just been an overall stressful week and it felt good to get this out.
> 
> I'm sorry if some of the stuff here seems kind of random. I realize that I've done a kind of poor job of leading up to shit and for that I apologize, along with the lack of puns. There were several instances where I felt Sans would have made one but as I've mentioned, I suck at them and couldn't think of a good one.
> 
> Despite all these shortcomings, I hope you like the chapter. Corrections and feedback always appreciated. Thanks for reading and your patience.

You woke up gasping, lurching upright in your bed as sweat trickled down your back. Wincing, you grabbed at your side as you felt that now familiar lance of pain where your scar was, shaking your head to rid the remaining whispers from it. It had now been a week and a half since you were attacked and you had been having nightmares every night since your date with Papyrus. Even on the nights when he slept over, you woke up in a cold sweat and gasping for breath. While he had of course noticed, you had been telling him that you were just a restless sleeper. He had worried enough about you already, you didn’t want to add to his concerns.

 

Looking to the side, your arm came to rest on the spot where he usually lay. He hadn’t stayed last night because today was the day you all were going to be heading up Mt. Ebott and Sans had wanted him home to help prepare. Sighing, you rolled over and picked up your phone. The clock read 5:30 a.m. Groaning, you dropped your head into the pillow. You still had an hour and a half before you needed to be up but you knew you weren’t going to be able to fall back asleep.

 

Rolling onto your back, you stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the nightmare. You knew you should probably tell somebody but everyone had finally started acting normally around you again and you didn’t want to get them all worried again. You were sure they would pass as time went on.

 

After staying in bed for another 30 minutes, you decided to get ready and then maybe do some work. Through a series of emails to your boss, you had convinced him to allow you to keep working from home. The story of the attack had spread like wildfire and you didn’t want people thinking that you were being scared away.

 

You had also been busy with the case against the man who had attacked you. Though you wanted to do what you could to make sure the man never hurt anyone again, you wished you didn’t have to be so involved. All you wanted was to move past it. But they needed you to testify and the court date was in just a few days.

 

You got dressed and went out to your desk. Turning on your laptop, you opened the document with the latest article that you’ve been working on. Putting in some earphones, you turned on your music and got to typing.

 

You were almost done when you suddenly felt a tap on your shoulder, causing you to jump and twist around. Tuli was behind you, still in her PJs and saying something that you couldn’t hear. Taking out an earbud, you asked, “What?”

 

Rolling her eyes, Tuli repeated, “How long have you been up?”

 

Shrugging, you replied, “Not too long.”

 

Raising her eyebrows, she glanced around you at the nearly finished article. “You had barely started that last night and now you’re nearly finished with it.”

 

“Just thought I’d get up a little earlier and get some work done before we headed out.”

 

“You hate getting up early.” Tuli narrowed her eyes at you. “___, are you okay? You look like you didn’t sleep well.”

 

“Well that’s one way of telling me I look like crap. I’m fine Tuli, stop worrying. Go get ready and I’ll go ahead get you some breakfast.” She hesitated, causing you to roll your eyes and make shooing motions at her. Huffing, she finally headed back to her room.

 

Saving the document and shutting your computer off, you got up and put a bagel in the toaster. Once it had popped up, you spread cream cheese on it and laid it on the counter, calling to Tuli that her breakfast was ready.

 

After a couple minutes, she came out and grabbed the plate. Seeing that you didn’t have a plate, she gave you a dubious look. “What?” you asked defensively. “Did you want  two?”

 

“Have you eaten?” she asked sternly.

 

You held your hands up. “Geez, what’s with you this morning?”

 

“Don’t avoid the question.”

 

“ _Yes_ , I ate this morning,” you lied smoothly. “Don’t be such a worry-wart Mom.”

 

She stuck her tongue out at you, making you laugh. You sobered quickly though. You felt bad for lying to her but you just weren’t hungry and you wanted to avoid more nagging. As she ate, you went back into your room to grab your backpack and put on your hiking boots. When you came back out, she was ready and the two you headed out to meet the skele-bros.

* * *

 

You pulled up to their house in time to see both Papyrus and Sans coming out. You were surprised to Frisk step out with them, holding Flowey in his pot. You hadn’t seen much of Frisk lately; as Asgore continued to fight for monster rights, their duties as ambassador had kept them busy. People were quickly learning not underestimate them by their young age.

 

As you and Tuli stepped out of the car to meet them, Tori came running out as well, a small backpack in her paws that she handed to Frisk. Spotting you, she approached you and gave you a big, fluffy hug, catching you off guard.

 

“Hi to you too Tori,” you laughed.

 

“____, my child. How are you? How has your recovery gone?”

 

Keeping back a sigh of frustration, you forced a smile and said, “It’s gone great. I’m feel completely back to normal now.”

 

She looked at you with some doubt, her eyes taking in the dark circles under your eyes but she held back whatever she was going to say, for which you grateful.

 

“How’s the school coming Tori?” you asked in an attempt to distract her, though you were genuinely curious.

 

It worked. “Oh, it’s going wonderfully! It’ll be done in time for the new school year! I’ve already been interviewing teachers,” she exclaimed, clapping her fluffy paws together.

 

You smiled. “That’s great Tori! I can’t wait for it to open. I hope I’ll be able to cover it.”

 

“Oh, that would be wonderful my child!”

 

Turning your attention to Frisk, you asked them, “So you coming too, Frisk?”

 

Since Flowey was in their hands, they couldn’t sign so they just nodded. You looked at the flower, who was glaring at Tuli. “And you?”

 

He turned his glare on you. “I’m not about to let Frisk go off alone with someone like _that_!” he spat, directing his venom at Tuli.

 

“They won’t be alone, weed. They’ll have me and Papyrus.”

 

“Oh yes, that’s a real confidence booster, she’s protected by the smiley trashbag and the puzzle maker.”

 

“And what problem do you have with Tuliana? She’s done nothing wrong!” you exclaimed angrily, shifting a little so that you were in front of Tuli.

 

“I’m not as confident in her innocence as the rest of you are. I want to see this other Sans for myself.”

 

“AND YOU WILL, MY FLOWEY FRIEND! BUT THERE IS NO NEED TO BE SO RUDE! DO TRY AND KEEP THE PEACE!” said Papyrus.

 

Flowey hissed but was brought up short by a shout from Tori. “Flowey! Behave or you will be staying here with me, helping me with paperwork for the school.”

 

Flowey flinched and he seemed to shrink into himself a little as he responded, “Yes M—Toriel.”

 

You raised your eyebrows at his sudden obedience, wondering why he listened so readily to Tori. Shaking it off, you said, “Okay, everybody ready then? Let’s get going.”

 

With that, you all got into the car, Papyrus climbing into the passenger seat and the other four in the back. As he got in, Papyrus leaned in to give you a kiss on the side of your head, whispering, “Good morning.”

 

You smiled at him, checked that everyone had their seat belts on and then started the car. You were finally about to get some answers.

* * *

 

Most of the ride was spent in silence. No one seemed really inclined to talk; tensions were running high. You were a little distracted by that though, as Papyrus had taken to holding your right hand while you drove off, moving his thumb in circles around the back of your hand. This was actually kind of taking some of your attention from the road but you liked it and didn’t want to tell him to stop.

 

You had already reached Mt. Ebott and had driven about halfway up when Tuli spoke up, telling you to take the next right. Doing as she told you, you pulled into a mostly deserted parking lot. As you all got out and you had a look around, you noticed a hiking trail on the other side of the lot, a sign next to it saying that it led to a camping ground. Backpack in hand, you went to start walking towards it but Tuli stopped you.

 

“It’s not that way.” At your confused look, she added, “Don’t you remember how well Arthur knew this mountain? He’d camped here dozens of times and knew a few secret spots. The clearing that we’re going to is one of those spots; there’s a small trail just over there.” As she said that last bit, she gestured to the other side of the lot, where all you could make out were a bunch of trees.

 

You looked at her a little apprehensively but started making your way over. You thought you heard Flowey grumbling in the background and resisted the urge to snap at him. It helped that Papyrus appeared next to you at that moment and reclaimed your hand, his grin wide. Giggling, you continued across the parking lot.

 

As you reached the edge of the forest, you stopped to look questioningly at Tuli. Even this close, you couldn’t make out a trail. As she stepped forward to scan the overgrowth, you heard Sans speak behind you. “Hey kiddo, I think it may be best if you replanted the weed.”

 

Hearing Flowey hiss a little, you turned around to see Frisk giving Sans a confused look, hugging Flowey’s pot tightly. Making a motion like he was rolling his eyes, Sans said, “That way he can move by himself. If you’re holding him the whole time, your hands won’t be free to help balance you as we hike and it looks like it’s gonna be a bit of a rough one. Unless he’d like to be floating in the air the whole way up.” At this last part, Sans smiled mischievously and his eye glowed a little.

 

Hissing again, Flowey retorted, “Don’t even think about it, trashbag. I am perfectly capable of going up myself. Frisk, just plant me on the edge of the forest there.”

 

“That’s too bad, I rather liked that idea.” Sans’ grin widened, though the light coming from his eye died down.

 

This caused Flowey to let out yet another hiss. Rolling your own eyes, you said, “Geez Flowey, spring a leak?” He turned on his stalk to glare at you but said nothing. As Frisk reached the edge of the trees, they kneeled down and started digging with their hands. You frowned, thinking that there had to be a better way to dig the hole and wondering if you had something in your bag to help, when a blue light started glowing around the dirt where Frisk had been digging. A large chunk of dirt lifted into the air and landed next to the newly made hole.

 

Signing their thanks to Sans, Frisk reached into Flowey’s pot, lifting him and placing him into the hole, smoothing the dirt out around him. Wriggling a little, he sighed with contentment. “Ah, that’s much better. I haven’t been able to move properly in what feels like forever. This trip might be more fun than I thought it would be.”

 

You frowned in confusion. “But, how are you supposed to move? You’re still planted in the ground.”

 

“Like this.” With a soft _fwoosh_ , Flowey disappeared into the ground. Before you could fully process that he had gone however, you heard Tuli squeal in surprise. Spinning around, you saw that Flowey had appeared right at her feet. As she got over her shock, you saw that Flowey was laughing; it was a genuine laugh, like he had actually enjoyed himself. You realized that you hadn’t heard him do little more than hiss since meeting him and you found it refreshing to hear the laughter. It sounded almost boyish, as though some inner child was shining through.

 

You could tell that you were not the only one amazed by the sight of him laughing. Sans was staring with his mouth open a little, Frisk was watching with a smile of their own and Papyrus’ usual grin had become quite wide. Even Tuli seemed a little taken aback.

 

Realizing that everyone was staring at him, Flowey sobered and frowned around at all of you. “What? Gonna tell me off for scaring her? I won’t apologize.”

 

Strangely, it was Tuli who answered. “No, you just happened to land right where the path starts.”

 

“Oh.” Turning, he looked into the trees behind him. “You call this a path? You can barely make it out.”

 

“Yes, well, it hasn’t been used very recently. I don’t think many people aside from Arthur knew about it and few enough people come up here to begin with. Come on, we have about an hour’s hike ahead of us, probably more since the path is so overgrown.” And with that, she stepped into the forest, leaving the rest of you with little choice but to follow.

 

~

 

_The group had been hiking for about an hour and a half. Tuliana led the way, occasionally looking back to make sure all of you were still behind her. You were staying mostly near Papyrus as you climbed; at the moment you were laughing at something he had said. She smiled, happy to see you able to relax a little around him. As much as you tried to hide it, she had noticed that something had been bothering you the past week. With everything going on, this wasn’t exactly an unusual thing but she felt that there was something that you were holding back._

 

_Looking beyond you and Papyrus, Tuli saw Sans hanging in the back. He was scanning the woods, a look of concentration on his face, his eye glowing a little. Though she still didn’t exactly like Sans, she had to admit that she had a grudging respect. It was obvious how much he wanted to protect his kind and catch this thing. Though it wasn’t just that. She felt that he was doing it for her a little, for Arthur. He too wanted justice._

 

_At that moment, she realized that Frisk and Flowey weren’t behind her. Looking around, she was surprised to find that Frisk was now walking right next to her, the flower following by disappearing into and popping back up from the ground._

 

_“Oh hey there kid, didn’t see you there. Kind of snuck up on me.” Tuli tried for a chuckle but noticed that Frisk’s face remained passive and that their eyes were staring down at her chest. Looking down, she saw that she had unconsciously grabbed onto her pendant._

 

_Frowning, they signed at her. “Uh, I’m sorry kid…my ASL is kind of rusty…”_

 

_“They asked why you are still wearing that pendant,” Flowey translated, the note of contempt not hidden from his voice._

 

_“Oh...why shouldn’t I be?”_

 

 ** _“Isn’t the soul of your husband in there?”_** _they signed, again translated by Flowey._

 

_“Yes. I’ve learned to Fight with it. It makes me stronger.”_

 

 _Flinching a little when she mentioned fighting, Frisk said,_ **_“Him.”_ **

 

_“Him?” Tuli was confused._

 

 _Nodding vigorously, they signed,_ **_“It’s still him in there. He is still a conscious being, able to think for himself. And you’ve trapped him.”_ **

 

_Now Tuli was the one frowning. “How can he still be conscious? He’s dead.”_

 

 _Frisk’s signing was becoming so fast that even Flowey was having a hard time translating._ **_“His physical body is dead. But you caught his soul and contained it before it could break and he truly died. Since then, you’ve just been using him. Draining him.”_ **

 

_“But...if he’s didn’t truly die...does that mean he can come back?” Tuli suddenly felt a rush of hope but it was quickly dashed by Frisk shaking their head._

 

**_“It just means that he’s trapped. Because you have kept him in there and continued to use him, he is unable to find peace. He can’t move on.”_ **

 

_They were so focused on their signing that they were no longer paying attention to where they were going. As they took a step forward, their foot caught on a root and they fell forward. Tuli lunged forward to catch them as Flowey yelled out, “Frisk!”_

 

_Tuli had managed to catch them around the middle and pull them up, her mind still racing from what Frisk had just told her. Looking up, she gasped. From behind her, the other three raced up the path to them. As you all reached her, Sans asked, “What happened? Is Frisk okay? What’s that look Tuli?”_

 

_Swallowing, Tuli looked around at them. “We’re here.”_

* * *

 

Sans looked out at the clearing before all of you. Though it had also been overgrown with foliage, it was mostly just high grass, the trees still skirting the edge. Tuliana seemed to have frozen in place, her arms still around Frisk’s waist as she stared out at the clearing. Seeing you make your way to her side, he decided to leave you to her help her while he started trying to sense what little residue of magic that there might be.

 

As he passed Flowey, he murmured, “Weed, with me.”

 

Flowey frowned at him but came along. “What do you want?”

 

“You’re help.”

 

Flowey scoffed. “Since when?”

 

“Oh shut it. You’re the only other person here at all familiar with the kind of magic that we’re searching for. And, let’s face, you’ve had more practice with the darker side than me. You might have an easier time sensing this rift that that thing caused.”

 

“Oh stop, flattery will get you nowhere.” Sans looked down at the flower, who was now looking intently around the clearing, his eye-ridges raised. Was that a joke? Had the weed made a joke?

 

Shaking off his surprise, Sans started making his way around the clearing, Flowey heading in the opposite direction. Allowing his magic to pulse around him, he started to probe the air with it, searching for some evidence of magic. He thought he caught a faint trail and started following it.

 

As he did, he noticed that it seemed to cross with another. Frowning, he stopped walking and extended his magic out further, trailing both lines. Though they separated quite far apart at one point, he felt as they curved back into each other and felt as he crossed with a third and fourth. As he continued to come across more, he noticed that they all seemed to be leading to a central point.

 

Calling to Flowey, Sans walked forward towards where he felt all the lines were coming from until he came upon a huge knot. Flowey appeared next to him and asked, “What is it?”

 

“I think I found something. I’m sensing a big knot right here. Can you?”

 

A look of concentration coming to his face, Flowey focused on the area where Sans indicated. Almost immediately, he nodded. “I feel it. But that’s hardly the magic that ripped open a fissure in space.”

 

“I was afraid not. I think this where he stood as he ravaged the campsite and killed Tuli’s husband. She said it was like he was using some sort of strings, like a puppeteer and the way the trails felt were thin and scattered around.”

 

Flowey nodded. “Then we can’t be too far now.”

 

Grunting in agreement, Sans stepped around the knot of magic in front of him and spread his own out still further. This time, Flowey stayed next to him, concentrating on the space around him. And it was him who felt it first. “Trashbag, I got something.”

 

“Hm? What is it?”

 

“I’m not sure but it’s dark. And big. Right in front of that copse of trees.”

 

Sans turned his magic towards where Flowey told him and felt it almost immediately. It was still faint but it was there. And the weed hadn’t been kidding; he could sense darkness emanating from it.

 

Focusing his magic more, Sans tried to make the trace it of stronger. As he fed it with magic, the darkness started to become visible.

 

“BROTHER, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?” he heard Papyrus call out behind him.

 

“What does it look like, bro? I’m trying to reopen this hole.”

 

“SANS, THAT WAS NOT PART OF THE PLAN! WE DON’T KNOW WHAT IS BEHIND THERE! SOMEONE COULD GET HURT!”

 

“Don’t worry Paps, I won’t let anything happen to you. This thing is going to pay.”

 

“IT IS NOT ME I AM WORRIED ABOUT!”

 

Ignoring his brother, Sans continued to pour his magic into the tear. By now, what appeared to be a crack had appeared. Gritting his teeth from the effort, sweat trickling down his skull, he asked Flowey, “Care to help?”

 

Without answering, Flowey shot his roots at the crack and somehow seemed to grab onto the edges. They started straining as he began pulling on either end. This, combined with Sans’ magic, began to make real progress as the crack opened a little.

 

Immediately, the sound of howling wind filled the clearing. With a yell, Flowey pulled even harder, managing to open it even more. As it did, Sans sent his magic inside to try to find something inside. He thought that he had sensed something familiar, a presence that he had felt before, when he heard Frisk gasp.

 

Spinning, he saw them, staring at the open crack, tears running down their cheeks and, inexplicably, their Soul out, floating in front of their body. He barely registered how beaten it looked before yelling at them, “Frisk, what’re you doing? Put your Soul back!”

 

Distracted, he was no longer focusing his magic on keeping the crack open and the pulse of blue disappeared as he turned completely towards Frisk, who hadn’t seemed to hear him. Unable to keep it open by himself, Flowey retracted his roots with another yell. As soon as he let go, the crack snapped shut and disappeared, leaving behind a wisp of what looked like red smoke.

 

As the crack closed, Frisk’s Soul retreated back into their body and they fell to their knees, now openly sobbing. Rushing to them, Sans knelt down, wrapping his arms around their small body.

 

“What is it kiddo? What’s wrong?” Sans tried to keep the note of panic from his voice.

 

“I felt them, Sans. They’re trapped in there. He took them from me.” Frisk whispered, their voice hoarse from lack of use.

 

“Who? Who did he take?”

  
Their tear-streaked face lifted to his. “Chara.”


	18. Frisk's Story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Frisk reveals their encounter with Error

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I liiiiiiivvvve!  
> Haha, howdy guys! So yeah, I'm alive. Sorry it's been so long since my last update! I'm in my second year of college and it sort of hit me like a wall and I've been so busy that I haven't had much time to write or just too drained to do it. But I finally got around to writing this chapter and let me tell you, it felt so good! I missed it so much! I'm definitely gonna try to get to it more often, though I can't promise regular updates. I promise to try though!
> 
> Anywho, here is the new chapter, finally. I hope you guys enjoy and as always, feedback and corrections are appreciated.

You were all back at the skele-bro’s house.

 

After Frisk’s pronouncement, Sans, Papyrus, and Flowey had all frozen in shock. And then in a sudden rush, Sans swept Frisk up into his arms and teleported away. As he did, Flowey hissed in frustration and Papyrus called out, “BROTHER!”

 

You had been still standing next to Tuli, trying to process the turn of events, when Papyrus took you by the hand and started running. You had just enough time to grab Tuli’s before you were all sprinting into the forest, Flowey following close by, practically tearing through the ground in his rush.

 

However, neither you nor Tuli could keep up with Papyrus for very long and it wasn’t long before you were both lagging. Without hesitation, Pap swept you both up, somehow managing to place Tuli on his back so that she was hanging on like a backpack while cradling you in his arms.

 

Once you were in his arms, you took the opportunity to ask, “Papyrus, who is Chara?”

 

He looked down at you without slowing. You thought you saw a flicker of sadness in his eyes. “It’s a long story, ___. It might be best that Frisk tell you. Sans doesn’t even know that I know as much as I do.” You resisted to the urge to press further, not wanting to pry and allow Papyrus to focus on running, though he wasn’t even out of breath.

 

At Papyrus’ speed, even with the obstacles that the forest still placed before them, he managed to cut your hike time in half, reaching the parking lot in just over 30 minutes. As he set you both down and bent down to retrieve Flowey, you were surprised to see Sans standing by the car. With how fast he had teleported away, you had expected him to be long gone, probably back at his house. But then you remembered how traveling long distances drained him and that he had probably realized pushing himself that far was probably not a good idea. You soon realized that that didn’t mean that he was happy about it.

 

As you got closer, you saw that he was pacing back and forth, his eye glowing its dark blue and magic pulsing off of him as he struggled to control himself. When you were within earshot, he growled, “What took you so long?”

 

Raising an eyebrow, you said, “I’m sorry that the rest of us can’t teleport and be somewhere within seconds. Your brother got us here as fast we could.”

 

“Well, hurry up and get us off this fucking mountain! Frisk needs to get home!” he snapped.

 

“Sans, calm down. We are aware that something is wrong with Frisk and we want to get them back as soon as possible too. But getting angry at us isn’t going to help them any more or make us go any faster than we can,” said Tuli soothingly.

 

You looked at her in surprise. Since when was she the voice of reason? Regardless, it seemed to work. Something flashed in Sans’ eyes and then his magic slowly receded, until the only glow was coming from the pinpricks in his eyes. Nodding, he turned to the car and joined Frisk inside. At that moment, Papyrus approached, holding an anxious Flowey, who was back in his pot. The ride back was spent in silence, with you pushing the speed limits as much as you dared.

 

And now, here you were, standing in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen. Toriel had already been filled in on what had happened on Mt. Ebott. She was currently with Frisk on the couch, arms wrapped around their small body. Frisk lay curled into her side and stared blankly off into space. Flowey, who had demanded to be placed next to Frisk, was hovering over them, a look of worry and uncertainty on his face.

 

Sans was pacing back and forth, his skeletal hands balled into fists, while Papyrus clanked around the kitchen, trying to make something in the hopes of cheering Frisk up. Tuli stood next to you, looking uncomfortable.

 

Finally, Sans stopped his pacing, coming to a halt in front of Frisk and Tori. Kneeling down, he tried to catch Frisk’s eyes but they continued to stare off. With a sigh, he gently said, “Look kid, we need to know what happened back there. Have you met this…error version of me before? Why haven’t you said anything? And what does it have to do with the demon-chi—”

 

He came to a halt as Frisk finally focused on him, glaring at him as though they were daring him to finish his sentence. You thought you heard a small hiss from Flowey as well. A look passed across Sans’ face and he growled out, “Fine.  _ Chara _ . What does this have to do with  _ them _ ? How did he take them?”

 

A pained look came across Frisk’s face and they buried their face into Tori’s fluffy fur.

 

“Frisk,  _ please _ . This could help us catch him,” Sans pleaded, his voice soft again.

 

At that moment, Papyrus came in holding a bowl of ice cream, complete with chocolate sauce and a cherry on top. You were a little surprised by his choice of food; for Pap to resort to junk food in his attempt to cheer up Frisk, he must really feel that this was an emergency.

 

“BROTHER, IF FRISK DOESN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT, THEY SHOULDN’T HAVE TO!” he said, placing the bowl of ice cream in Frisk’s lap. They stared down at their bowl, looking as though they wanted to disappear.

 

“But bro, this could help us catch the bastard—”

 

“LANGUAGE SANS! AND I’M AWARE OF THE VALUE OF THE INFORMATION! BUT THIS WAS CLEARLY A TRAUMATIZING EXPERIENCE AND THEY ARE CLEARLY IN PAIN!”

 

“Well maybe it would be good for them to let it out!”

 

As Pap and Sans continued to argue, you kept watching Frisk. As you did, they looked up at you and met your eyes. You tried to give them a comforting smile. After a moment, their gaze switched over to Tuli and from there, the pendant. As they stared at the pendant, they seemed to contemplate something and then the look on their face changed. Gone was the blank look. Now they looked determined.

 

They looked up at Flowey and you saw them sign,  **“Get their attention please.”**

 

With a smirk, Flowey nodded and you watched as his face morphed into its demonic form. As he spoke, you felt a shudder go down your spine from the change in his voice. “Hey! Bonehead trash! How about you stop speaking for Frisk and let them make their own decisions!”

 

The skele-bros stopped arguing, shocked. As soon they saw that Flowey had gotten their attention, Frisk started signing again, Flowey automatically going to translate.

 

**“I’ll tell you. You’re right, it could help you and then maybe we can save Chara as well.”**

 

At that last bit, Sans looked like he wanted to protest but kept quiet with another look from Frisk. They then looked around at you and Tuli.  **“You may not understand everything I tell you. A lot happened Underground before the barrier was finally broken. A lot of bad things. But please just listen.”**

 

You and Tuli nodded your understanding.

 

They took a moment to collect themselves, closing their eyes and taking a deep breath. As they opened their eyes, the look of determination was back.

 

**“It was during the beginning of had meant to be another Genocide run…”**

 

* * *

 

_ Dust rained down on them as they stood before the doors of the Ruins. Once again, they had killed. And not just anyone, but Toriel. Frisk was starting to lose count of how many times they had been forced to do this, to go through it over and over again, reset after reset. For a moment, their anguish was so overwhelming, they regained full control of themselves and doubled over from the pain in their heart.  _

 

_ But after a while, the sobbing stopped and they lifted their head, their eyes glowing red once again. Chara had come to the surface, numbing the pain that Frisk felt, though tears still streamed down their face as they too mourned their mother. _

 

_ “It’ll be okay Frisk. We’ll get through this. Together. I won’t leave you, I promise,” said Chara, using Frisk’s voice to speak. _

 

_ “How much longer do we have to do this Chara? I’m not sure how long I can take it…” Frisk whispered in their head.  _

 

_ Chara hesitated before answering, wondering whether or not they should be honest.  _

 

_ “I don’t know Frisk. You know we aren’t the ones in control. We don’t make the decisions, not when it comes to the Fights.” _

 

_ “Then who?” _

 

_ “I...I don’t know that either.” As they said this, Chara looked up at the ceiling of the Ruins, wanting to have the answers for once and to protect Frisk from the pain they were feeling. Finally, they looked back at the doors before them. With a sigh, they said, “Come on. We have to keep going.” _

 

_ “No, I don’t want to!” Chara could feel Frisk’s will battling against theirs, trying to turn them around. But their Soul was too battered and weak to overcome Chara. _

 

_ “I know. But we have to.” And with that, Chara went to step back out to the snowy land beyond the doors. But as they did, a ripping noise wrenched through the air and a wide hole tore open before them, the force of it sending them flying back. _

 

_ Chara tumble several feet before they finally came to a halt. They lay there for a moment, dazed. They could feel a bit of blood trickling down their face from where they’d hit their head on the stones. They could feel Frisk’s Soul pulse with fear but all they felt was anger. _

 

_ They looked up at the hole, their eyes pulsing red. As they watched, they saw a silhouette appear; it was familiar, one they had seen many times. Immediately, they grew tense. He wasn’t supposed to be here. Even if he remembered past timelines, this isn’t how it was supposed to go. _

 

_ “Sans! What are you doing here, bonehead?” Chara shouted. _

 

_ A chuckle came out of the void, magnified and...glitchy? Either way, it was not a cheerful chuckle; it sent shivers down Chara’s spine. Something other than their sins was crawling up their back.  _

 

_ “I-I-I a-ammm not S-s-san-ns. At-t l-least-t n-no-o-t the on-ne y-you kn-know.” As he spoke, the figure came out of the darkness of the void, revealing himself. And Chara had to agree; while he bore a great resemblance, that most definitely was not Sans. And they had never wished for that stupid bonehead so much in their life.  _

 

_ Chara stared wide-eyed at this...Error Sans. Cause that’s the only thing they could think of to describe him; he looked like Sans but he kept glitching in and out, his blue and orange eye glowing at them, a demented grin on his face. They felt Frisk’s Soul quiver again; that filled them with determination and they managed to stand up, facing the intruder.  _

 

_ “What do you want?” they shouted boldly. _

 

_ This stopped Error in his tracks, a look of surprise crossing his face. But then he started laughing again, causing to some of Chara’s bravery to dwindle a little.  _

 

_ “M-mm-yy, m-mm-yy. Y-y-you-u ar-re th-the f-fearl-less-s-s on-ne. A-and-d n-not-t on-ne t-to w-wast-te t-ti-im-me, eith-ther. V-ver-ry w-well then-n, straight-t-t to th-the p-point.”  _

 

_ He rose into the air, his eye glowing brighter and his grin somehow becoming even more malicious. “I WANT YOU, CHARA.” _

 

_ Chara gasped in shock. “How—” _

 

_ “DO I KNOW WHO YOU ARE? I KNOW EVERYTHING! I HAVE SEEN EVERY TIMELINE, KNOW EVERY OUTCOME! I HAVE WATCHED AS YOU ALL GOT YOUR HAPPY ENDINGS! WELL IT’S MY TURN TO FIND SOME HAPPINESS!” _

 

_ Chara frowned, some of their anger returning. Happiness? What part of this timeline was happy? They hadn’t been truly happy for a long time. _

 

_ “I CAN SEE YOU DOUBTING MY WORDS. BUT DO NOT WORRY, THE CHAOS DOWN HERE WILL SOON END. AND THEN THE CHAOS ABOVE WILL BEGIN! WITH YOUR HELP OF COURSE!” _

 

_ Chara scowled. “What makes you think I would help you? Whether you’re telling the truth or not, it sounds like you’re planning to hurt a lot of people. And I will not cause any more suffering!” _

 

_ Error threw his head back and laughed his bone-chilling laugh. “MY DEAR. YOU WON’T HAVE A CHOICE!” And with that, he thrusted his arms forward, blue strands following the direction that he indicated, flying towards Chara. _

 

_ Chara felt as the strands entered their body and gripped their Soul, causing them to gasp in shock and pain. But it wasn’t nearly as painful as what happened next. As they started ripping theirs and Frisk’s Souls apart. They could hear their scream of pain echoed in their head as Frisk screamed as well. _

 

_ They did all they could to resist, concentrating on staying connected to Frisk. But the strands took over their will and there was little that they could do. Within moments, Error had pulled them apart. As Chara’s Soul was wrenched out of Frisk’s body, Frisk collapsed to the ground. The strain of the separation had nearly killed them; their health was down to 1.  _

 

_ With difficulty, they managed to lift their head, tears streaming down their face. In front of them floated Chara’s Soul, red and pulsing, still entangled within the blue strands. Frisk could sense them struggling against them but it was no use. An apparition appeared around the Soul; it was an image of Chara. They reached for Frisk, who tried to grab their hand as well but it fazed through and then they were gone.  _

 

_ Laughing once again, Error pulled the Soul towards him so that it was floating above his palm, though it looked more like it was dangling with the strands. It was then that Frisk noticed that the Ruins were gone. Everything around them had turned black, making it hard to see the swirling black rip behind Error.  _

_ “W-what have you done?” Frisk croaked out weakly. _

 

_ Error Sans cocked their head. “S-s-so-o y-y-ou c-can-n s-sp-peak-k. W-wel-ll, m-my f-feeb-ble on-ne, I-I g-gues-ss y-you c-could-d s-sa-ay I c-caus-sed-d a g-glitch-ch-ch in th-th s-syst-tem-m. B-b-ut-t d-don’t-t w-worry-y, y-you’ll-l b-be ab-ble to f-fix-x it af-fter-r I-I l-leav-ve. A-and-d d-don’t-t f-fret-t. You’ll-l s-see y-your-r p-precious-s Ch-chara ag-g-gain.” _

 

_ And with that, he stepped back into the rip in space that he had created, Chara’s Soul in tow. All Frisk could do was watch as their friend was taken from them and the hole closed with a snap behind Error.  _

 

_ When it did, Frisk curled into themselves and started sobbing anew, not knowing what to do and feeling completely alone in the darkness. They called for help, but nobody came. _

 

_ After a while, they looked up again and was shocked to see a Reset floating in front of them. That’s what Error must have meant in saying that they’d be able to fix the “glitch”.  _

 

_ For a moment, they considered not pressing it, just to spite Error and to make sure he wasn’t able to get what he wanted. But then they remembered that that would mean that they’d be alone here forever. And they also remembered that Chara needed their help. That thought fueled them enough to stand up. _

 

_ As they did, they looked at the Reset before them. Drawing themselves up, they decided that this time, it would be different. No matter what, they would make sure that they were in control this time. They would make it to the surface and save Chara. And they would make sure that Error didn’t succeed, no matter what. _

  
_ And so, filled with determination, they pressed the Reset. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaalsoooo, I'm gonna be co-authoring a new fic on here! It's still in the works, but keep a lookout! It should be up soon. My co-author will likely be a name most of y'all recognize. I'm really excited about it; we've been brainstorming for weeks. It's a different kind of fic; still Undertale but you'll get to choose from multiple points of view, all you-inserts, which I found to be a cool concept. 
> 
> So yeah, I hope you guys liked the chapter and that you'll enjoy the new fic when we get it up! Thank you so much for reading!


	19. Almost Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Tuli process what you have learned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I finally did it! I'm sorry I haven't updated in so long. There's my usual excuse of college got busy but if I'm being completely honest, I really lost inspiration for this fic for a long time. I began to hate it; I felt like it was a horrible story and I didn't feel like it was worth finishing. I tried coming back to it so many times but every time, I found a reason not to. I told myself that nobody really cared and that I was probably a bad writer anyway and there was nothing really urging me to convince me otherwise. Except, every now and again, I'd get an email, telling me that I got a kudo for this fic. And I'd wonder if I was letting people down; I'm not someone who likes to let people down. Nor am I someone who likes to give up. So finally, I started reading the whole thing, trying to love it again. And while it may still not be my favorite thing that I've ever written and I know that there are better fics and better writers not just on this sight but all over, I managed to find inspiration again. And it might still be slow going, cause I'm still trying to figure some stuff out but I'll try to regularly update until it's done.
> 
> Thank you to those who stayed patient and continued watching out for this fic. For those who are returning to this fic, I did do some edits to the previous chapters; nothing big, just a few phrases that kind of establish ES's influence a little more. It'll be things that seem out of character for the characters and will explain a little why I made Pap the way he is. 
> 
> Again, thank you guys so much for reading, you help me want to keep writing. I appreciate any feedback.

You and Tuli were back in your apartment. After Frisk had finished telling their story, a lot of confusion had occurred and you had felt that it was best if you and Tuli left. This was something that the two of you didn’t really understand and couldn’t be much help with. You had been hoping for Papyrus to come home with you tonight but you knew it would have been wrong to pull him away when Frisk so obviously needed him. You didn’t want to make him choose. 

 

“I still can’t wrap my head around it, what Frisk has been through. To not only have been attacked by that mo--thing, but have had their SOUL practically ripped apart…”

 

Tuli’s voice brought you out of your reverie. The two of you had been discussing everything since you left but you had been silent for several minutes. Shaking yourself, you answered.

 

“Yeah, I can’t believe they were able to keep that to themselves for so long. Though I suppose I can understand. They seemed so ashamed...and scared. And it was clear that Sans has no love for this...Chara.”

 

“Yeah…” Tuli was now looking at you strangely, a small frown on her face.

 

Surprised, you took a small step back from her gaze. “What?”

 

Breathing in deeply, Tuli continued to stare at you. Finally, she said, “Have you eaten today?”

 

You blinked at her. “I--we’ve just heard about how a kid we’ve known for just a few months has been through hell and back and you’re concerned about whether or not I’ve eaten? Seriously?”

 

“Yes, seriously. Have you?”

 

“Why does it matter?”

 

Now she seemed to be getting angry. “Because I want to see if you’ll lie to me again! Because Frisk isn’t the only one who seems to keep things to themselves.”

 

“I don’t know what--”

 

“Oh cut the bullshit ___. You think I haven’t noticed you’ve been acting different since you got hurt?”

 

You raised your eyebrows. “ _ I’ve _ been acting differently? It’s everyone else who’s been treating me like I’m fucking fragile. I’m  _ fine _ .”

 

Tuli’s shoulders slumped. “Fine. I won’t push you. But I know you’re not. And I want you to know that I’m here, if you need to talk.” She was looking at you sadly, like she already knew that you weren’t going to.

 

“You weren’t exactly forthcoming yourself, you know.”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

“You kept things to yourself too.”

 

She nodded her head, bowing her head. “Yeah and I was alone for two years because of it, obsessed with revenge. And when I finally did say something, I found people who were willing to help. I even learned…” She trailed off, gripping her pendant tightly.

 

“What?” You stared at her hand as it held onto what was the last remnant of Arthur. 

 

Tuli smiled sadly, letting go of the pendant. “I’ve just been selfish, that’s all. And I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did.”

 

Before you could answer, Tuli turned towards her room. “I think I’m going to take a shower then turn in for the night. Let me know if you need anything.”

 

You stayed silent as she disappeared into her room. You almost wished she had kept pushing; you were the type of person who needed to be pushed. But at the same time you were glad she hadn’t. You felt that your problems hardly mattered right now, especially considering everything else. There were bigger things going on. 

 

With a sigh, you headed towards your room. When you got there, you shut the door behind you and put everything down. Looking around your room without really seeing, you thought about taking a shower (you had just hiked a mountain after all) but felt too exhausted and the thought of getting ready for one just suddenly seemed too daunting. Maybe you could just lay down for a second…

 

Plopping onto your bed, you rolled over onto your back with another sigh, rubbing at your tired eyes. Keeping your face covered, you mulled over the events of the day. You still couldn’t quite believe everything that had happened. The trip to Mt. Ebott seemed to have raised more questions than it had answered. 

 

You tried to connect everything that you had learned, tried to find some sort of pattern. This Error Sans had appeared to both Frisk and Tuliana. He had taken something from both of them, something that had set them on a path to make decisions that led them both to where they were now. Decisions that Error presumably had wanted them to make, And then he had started kidnapping monsters, something that had started a stirring within both human and monsters societies. It had been the source of many riots and fights. But it’s also been something that has brought some humans and monsters together, which surely can’t be what Error wanted, if chaos was his goal, as he had implied. 

 

So if that was the case, wouldn’t he want to take away the reason the humans and monsters were managing to get along? But what was that? And what was his motive? Tuli had said that he had said something about being bored but it had to be more than that. 

 

And there was what had been happening with you. Every night, when you went to sleep, you could almost swear that...you shook your head. No. They were just nightmares. They had nothing to do with what was going on. Why would they? You weren’t important. Why would Error bother with you?

 

A headache had begun behind your right eye, something that had become a common occurrence. With a groan, you dragged your hand down your face and stared up at the ceiling. What were you missing? You knew you had to be missing  _ something _ ; you could almost feel it staring you in the face. It didn’t help that your brain was sluggish from exhaustion. 

 

You didn’t want to sleep though, you had to try and figure out what was going on. You had to help Tuli and Frisk and all the monsters that had suffered because of Error. Could they still be helped?

 

You didn’t want to dwell on it. But maybe you should try to rest for a moment...just a few minutes of resting your eyes, and then you could go back to trying. Just a few minutes...a nightmare wouldn’t have time to come...just needed to rest your eyes…

* * *

 

_ It started the way it always did, with you alone in the dark.  _

 

_ You looked around but could see nothing. You started to run, calling out for somebody. Anybody. As you ran, someone grabbed you and pushed you down to the ground, pinning you. You realized that it was the man who had attacked you. You tried to buck and roll but he was too heavy.  _

 

_ The man started to laugh, saying, “Not gonna get away this time, you little bitch.” _

 

_ You tried to fight harder but stopped when you caught sight of something. It was a dark figure behind the man, its arm outstretched towards him. You thought you saw a glowing eye as well but before you could really look, the man was wrenched from on top of you.  _

 

_ Rolling onto your stomach, you looked up to see Papyrus. Except, he was different. Gone were the gentle lines of his face. His eyes were black and he looked angry. Orange magic swirled around him. You thought you saw something behind him as you had with the man but were distracted when you saw that Papyrus was holding the man in the air, orange magic surrounding him. The man was pleading, begging for Mercy. But all Papyrus did was summon bones. _

 

_ As they shimmered into the air, you ran to Papyrus, yelling for him not to do it but he either couldn’t hear you or ignored you. The next thing you knew, the man was dead, impaled by the bones. As he died, the orange magic disappeared from around Papyrus and he collapsed to the ground, sobbing. You went to reach for him but before you could, he disappeared. _

 

_ Alone in the dark again, you looked around and saw what appeared to be a red light. Getting closer to it, you saw that it was a glowing red heart, something you now knew to be a SOUL. A human SOUL. _

 

_ As you continued to watch, an apparition appeared around the SOUL. It was a child. They had brown hair and wore a green sweater with yellow stripes. And their eyes glowed a bright red.  _

 

_ When they had fully formed, they looked up at you, tears streaming from their glowing eyes. “Help me. Please.” _

 

_ “How?” you asked, taking a step toward the child.  _

 

_ That’s when you heard the dark laughter, a laughter that had become quite familiar.  _

 

_ “You can’t help them. But you can help me. And it’s almost time. Yes. You will soon help me finish this.” _

 

_ “Who are you?” you called out, looking around wildly for the source of the voice.  _

 

_ “You know who I am.” _

 

_ Looking back at the child, you gasped in horror at what you saw. Their red eyes had become black pools, dripping down their face like horrible tears. They also now wore a horribly demented grin and held a knife in their hand.  _

 

_ Behind them, this time clearly visible, was Error, his eye glowing. Blue strands extended from his hands and wrapped around the child’s heart. _

 

_ “Please,” you said. “Don’t do this. Leave the child alone.” _

 

_ Throwing his head back, the skeleton laughed and as he did, the child leapt forward, swinging the knife up, right into your stomach. _

* * *

 

You woke with a start, feeling that familiar sharp pain in your abdomen. Sitting up, you clutched the spot, gritting your teeth until it faded. Twisting around so you could look at your clock, you saw that you had been asleep for a little over an hour. So much for just resting your eyes. Well, you were awake now. And your mind was racing, your heart still pounding from the dream.

 

Suddenly, you felt like you needed to be moving. You got up and started pacing around the room but there wasn’t enough room. You needed a walk and a place to think. The one place that you had always found peace and been able to think. It was only a 30 minute walk.

 

Looking out the window to the still dark sky, you hesitated for a moment, knowing that it wasn’t smart to go walking alone at this time of night, especially considering recent events. But you needed to get out and didn’t want to wake up Tuli and worry her. Plus, you wanted to be alone right now.

 

You’d only be a couple hours; you’d make sure to be back before Tuli realized you were gone. Your decision made, you nodded to yourself and grabbed your phone and the pocket knife you had just bought a few days ago. You knew it was a feeble weapon but it made you feel a little better about going out alone. 

 

Walking out of your room, you went to your shoes next to the front door. Putting them on, you tried to make as little noise as possible. Picking up your keys, you winced at the jingling noise they made, closing your hand around them to minimize it. With a final look around your apartment, you stepped out of the front door, closing it as softly as possible behind you. 

* * *

 

_ Tuli was sitting on her bed, staring at the gold heart pendant in her hand. She had tried to go to sleep but her brain was full of the events of the day, as well as worry for you. She wished you would tell her what was going on with you. But, as you had pointed out, she had done the same thing. Karma was a bitch...as was irony.  _

 

_ She also couldn’t get what Frisk had told her out of her head. Was she really causing Arthur more pain by keep his SOUL in the pendant? She had never thought about how his SOUL was still...well...his. And now she felt horrible about it. Just someone else that she had hurt in her determination to get her revenge.  _

 

_ She had now been staring at the pendant for a while, trying to figure out what to do. For a moment, she had allowed herself to hope, despite Frisk saying that there was no bringing him back. If his SOUL was still alive, then he was too, even Frisk had admitted that much. But then she had let the hope fade. She knew that without something to contain it, the SOUL wouldn’t last long on its own. Still, if she did let him out, would she be able to talk to him, even if for just a moment. Would she be willing to trade having the SOUL near her at all times for just a couple of minutes for a chance to talk to him? _

 

_ Of course she would.  _

 

_ But, there was still the fact that she needed the SOUL, still needed him. The power of his SOUL and her’s together would make her much more powerful in a Fight. And she had no doubt that it would come to a Fight. She had come to rely on the power it gave her. The feeling when the power of Arthur’s SOUL touched hers made her feel like she wasn’t so alone. _

 

_ But she wasn’t alone. Not anymore. She had Sans on her side. And Papyrus. Even Flowey. And she had you, you who had never given up on her. All of you were willing to help her. And it was selfish of her to hold onto Arthur just because of she was afraid of letting him go for good. He deserved better than that. He deserved to move on and be at peace.  _

 

_ Having made her decision, she close her hand around the pendant and got up. She went to open the door to her room so she could look for something to open the pendant with. But then she heard the jangle of keys and the sound of the front door opening. Frowning, she threw her door open just in time to see you step out and close the door behind you. _

 

_ What the fuck? Where the hell were you going this time of night? And all by yourself. _

 

_ Cursing under her breath, she put the pendant back around her neck; freeing Arthur would have to wait. Going back into her room, she quickly pulled on some shoes and ran after you. She had some idea of where you were going but couldn’t fathom why you were going now.  _

 

_ Dammit, if something happened to you, she was gonna kill you… _

* * *

 

Papyrus stood in the kitchen, his arms crossed, staring down at the floor. Sans and Toriel had finally taken Frisk to bed not too long ago and Papyrus took the time alone to try and sort through his thoughts.

 

He wished there was something he could do for Frisk. He was supposed to be their best friend after all and as their best friend, he was supposed to always be there for them and help them when they needed him. But he didn’t know how. In fact, he didn’t know what to do for the whole situation. 

 

He was also a little anxious. He wanted to check on you but was sure that you were probably asleep by now. And judging by how you had looked earlier today, you needed sleep. He knew most people thought he was pretty oblivious to things, but he actually noticed a lot. Especially since your attack.

 

His SOUL ached at just the thought of you being hurt. And there was also that trace of anger. He had been feeling that a lot lately, anger. Once an emotion that he had been almost a stranger to, now it was almost his constant companion, calmed only by your presence. He didn’t know what was wrong with him. 

 

His thoughts were interrupted by Sans entering the kitchen.

 

“Hey bro, what are you still doing out here?”

 

Papyrus looked up at his brother and forced his normal voice. “I WAS JUST CONTEMPLATING BROTHER. HOW IS FRISK?”

 

Sans shrugged. “They finally fell asleep; Tori is looking after them right now.”

 

Papyrus nodded and Sans rubbed his skull, suddenly seeming uncomfortable. “ARE YOU OKAY BROTHER?”

 

“Yeah Pap. Just wanted to, ah, apologize for earlier. First for on the mountain and then after, when we were talking to the kiddo. I know I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”

 

Papyrus smiled gently at his brother. “IT IS OKAY SANS. I KNOW YOU WERE JUST CONCERNED FOR FRISK’S WELL BEING AND WANTED TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED TO THEM. I REACTED QUITE STRONGLY AS WELL FOR WHICH I TOO APOLOGIZE.”

 

Sans returned his smile. “Thanks Papy. You’re the coolest.”

 

“WELL OF COURSE. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL. NYEH HEH!” Papyrus had to force the laugh a little. Sans seemed to catch it and frowned a little. 

 

“You okay bro? I know I haven’t really said anything but you haven’t seemed like yourself lately.”

 

Papyrus was a little surprised; he hadn’t realized he was so obvious. “I AM OKAY BROTHER. I AM JUST WORRIED.”

 

“For ___?”

 

“YES. AND FOR FRISK OF COURSE. I JUST FEEL SO USELESS.”

 

Sans nodded. “I understand. But I can assure you that you’re anything but Pap. In fact, I hate to ask you this Pap, you know how I hate to put you in danger, but I think I’m going to need your help with this Error guy. If the episode on the mountain told me anything, it’s that that thing is much more powerful than I thought. You’re really good in a fight, thanks to all those training sessions with Undyne. And I need you Pap.”

 

Papyrus felt touched; he knew that Sans hated asking for help. “OF COURSE SANS. I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL SURELY HELP YOU IN THIS COMING BATTLE. TOGETHER, WE SHALL MAKE AN UNSTOPPABLE TEAM! NYEH HEH HEH!” Automatically, he posed heroically, getting a laugh out of Sans.

 

“Thanks Pap. I knew I could count on you. Now I just gotta ask that weed…man I’m really gonna hate admitting  _ his  _ help.”

 

“I THINK IT IS TIME YOU PUT YOUR FEELINGS ABOUT OUR FLOWERY FRIEND ASIDE. THEY CLEARLY CARE FOR FRISK AND I BELIEVE IN THEM.”

 

“Heh. You’ve always been better than me about giving people the benefit of the doubt.”

 

“JUST ONE OF MY MANY OUTSTANDING QUALITIES!”

 

“You’ve got that right bro. Well, I—”

 

Before Sans could finish, he was interrupted by the front door slamming open and a panicked looking Tuli running in. Papyrus grew even more shocked when he saw the blood caking one side of her face. He got a dreadful feeling in his SOUL.

 

“Tuliana?” said Sans. “What are you doing here? What’s happened, are you okay?”

 

Tuli was panting heavily and it took her a moment to answer. “It’s *gasp* ___. She’s been taken.”

 

“WHAT?” Papyrus said.

 

This time Tuliana started to sob as she repeated, “He took her. ___ is gone.” Then she collapsed to the ground.

 

Something inside of Papyrus snapped. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I also have a couple of series now. I will be updating the second fic of [Something Worth Fighting For](http://archiveofourown.org/works/9152797/chapters/20792434), [Something Worth Living For](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10987014/chapters/24468780), shortly. As for [Yes You Mage](https://archiveofourown.org/series/566566), it might be a while but I'm hoping me and my co-author are able to start up again soon. Thank you again.
> 
> While you're waiting be sure to check out my friend's fics. A lot of you have probably heard of them, EvergreenEmerald. They are currently working on their UnderSwap fic, [Honey, We Bee-Long](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8376301/chapters/19188850) and recently started a new one, [What Does It Mean To Be Human?](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10987134/chapters/24469065)


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback to when you're taken and everyone looks for you as things go to shit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, update! Took a little longer than I meant it to but here it is; sorry it's a little short. And thanks to those who helped remotivate me to get this chapter written, especially EvergreenEmerald and A+human.
> 
> I hope you enjoy and I appreciate any feedback. (Also, I didn't know what to name this chapter, so if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears.)

_ Tuli had managed to catch up with you and was following you at a distance. While her first instinct was to run up to you and ask you what the hell you were doing, she realized that you had probably gone out alone for a reason. So she was keeping an eye on you but giving you your space. _

 

_ It wasn’t long until her suspicions to where you were going were confirmed. The two of you were walking in the direction of the park, where the meadow was. Tuli had often found you there when you’d needed a place to think or be alone. As she followed you, she saw you sort of talking to yourself, making gestures with your hand, as though you were arguing with someone. _

 

_ There were a couple of times when you looked back, your hand hovering over your pocket, probably sensing that there was someone following you. Tuli managed to duck behind something just in time. She wished there were more people out so that she could hide more easily, though at the same time, she was glad there wasn’t.  _

 

_ The two of you walked for a little over half an hour before reaching the park and then it took about ten more minutes to maneuver through the dark and find the path and get to the meadow. Tuli struggled to be quiet as she went through the foliage of the path, as well as not trip over anything. With only the light from the stars and moon, she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to see something before falling over it.  _

 

_ As she reached the meadow, she saw you standing in the middle of it, staring up at the sky; it was clear and a lot of stars were visible tonight. As she continued to watch, you started to move around, walking aimlessly and talking to yourself. You were talking to low for Tuli to really hear what you you were saying but it sounded like you were trying to figure something out.  _

 

_ Still at the edge of the field, Tuli sat down, accepting that the two of you would probably be here for a little while.  After a while, you plopped down in the grass too with a big sigh. For a while, you both sat down in silence. Tuli had no idea how long she had been there but she had just started to nod off when you suddenly exclaimed loudly and shot to your feet.  _

 

_ Startled, Tuli shot up as well and was about to reveal herself and run to you when she saw what had made you shout. On the other side of the meadow was a red light. Tuli squinted a little and was able to make out that it was a heart shape. She gasped. Why was there a SOUL here? _

 

_ You began to walk over to it and as you did, the apparition of a child appeared around it. They had glowing red eyes, rosy cheeks, and a green sweater with yellow stripes. Tuli heard you gasp aloud and you stopped in your tracks. But then you started walking over to it and she heard you ask, “What do you want?” _

 

_ Feeling that there was more going on than she understood, Tuli ran out and called to you. You turned around, your eyes wide.  _

 

_ “Tuli, what are you doing here?” You sounded both angry and panicked.  _

 

_ “I followed you to make sure you were safe. What do you think you’re doing?” she answered, gesturing to the child, who looked like they were in pain and she noticed was crying. She had a sneaking suspicion to who they could be.  _

 

_ You looked back at the child and then turned back to her. “I need answers. And I think they need my help.” _

 

_ Tuli frowned. “Why do you think they need your help?” _

 

_ “I just do. Now please, just go. Let me do this.” You turned back around and started walking towards the apparition again.  _

 

_ Starting to run across the field, Tuli yelled, “___, no! It could be dang--” _

 

_ The words hadn’t left her mouth when she was once again stopped in her tracks by the sight of the child. Their eyes were dripping black, their mouth a gaping hole. You had also stopped just short of reaching them. Horrified, you watched as the apparition disappeared and she thought she saw a blue and yellow glow coming from the trees. A horrible sinking feeling filling her, Tuli ran to you.  _

 

_ When she reached you and had grabbed your hand, you both heard a horrible chuckle. Tuli felt the blood drain from her face. _

 

_ “No…” _

 

_ She began to back up, pulling you along with her but as she did, the thing she was dreading stepped from the trees. Error looked just like he had the night he killed Arthur, except his blue strands were now holding onto the red SOUL, the SOUL she now knew to be Chara’s. It hung over his palm, flickering weakly.  _

 

_ Tuliana felt an instant flood of anger fill her; Arthur’s SOUL pulsed against her chest. But she couldn’t Fight him now. It wasn’t just her right now; you were here too. She had to get you to safety. _

 

_ Pulling you behind her, Tuliana began to back away from the dark skeleton, never taking her eyes off of him. However, before she could go very far, he spoke, causing both of you to freeze as the sound of his voice sent chills down her spine.  _

 

_ “W-we-ell, we-e-ell, is-sn-n’t th-th-is-s a n-nic-ce surp-p-prise. I-I onl-ly c-cam-me her-re f-for __-_, I-I was-sn’t ex-exp-p-pect-t-ting you T-t-tul-liana. M-m-my, you’ve-ve g-gr-own-n.” His grin grew wider as he said this, seeming pleased. _

 

_ Tuli flinched; she didn’t like to be reminded that she had played right into his hands. But did he just say that he’d come for you? What did he mean by that? _

 

_ “What do you mean you came from me?” you spoke up behind her, unknowingly echoing her thoughts and making her jump.  _

 

_ Error’s attention turned to you, a glint in his eye. “Ex-exact-tly th-that. I-I t-tol-d-d y-you. It-t’s al-lmost-t-t time-me.” _

 

_ You looked shocked. “You mean...that was really you? You were in my nightmares?” _

 

_ He threw back his head and laughed. “Of-f c-cours-se. M-mind-d m-manipulation is-s alot-t l-lik-ke bend-d-ing on-nes will. I-I j-just-t sl-slither int-to th-their S-SOUL and-d wh-whisp-per sug-gest-tions. It-t’s m-much-ch m-more ent-tert-taining than-n s-simp-ply tak-king-g t-total c-con-ntrol.” Now he cocked his head at you, what looked like a frown now on his face. “Y-you h-hav-ve b-been un-unusuall-lly res-sist-tant. At-t f-first-t it-t was-s interesting. Th-then-n i-it j-just g-got ann-n-noying-g, as-s you con-ntinued-d w-with your-r own-n inf-fluence. S-so-o I-I wh-whisp-pered t-to th-that hum-man aft-ter he grabb-bed-d you. B-but-t th-then-n he f-failed to k-kill y-you, so I d-decid-ded to exp-p-periment with y-your-r n-n-night-tmares. I-it’s-s not r-really m-my ar-rea of exp-pert-tise b-but I-I d-didn’t-t hav-ve t-time to a-ask f-for som-me help. I-I th-think-k I-I d-did well-ll, c-consider-ring.” _

 

_ Your mouth flopped open as you tried to process what he’d said, but before you could form a response, Tuliana leapt forward, a fiery light in her eyes, gripping the pendant. _

 

_ “You’re the reason she was nearly killed? And you’ve been torturing her? You son of a bitch!” _

 

_ That was the last straw for Tuli. Before Error could form an answer, Tuli, who had begun to draw power from Arthur’s SOUL, attacked. Her own SOUL having risen to the surface, she was glowing red and yellow. Pulling her hand back, the yellow power from Arthur’s SOUL gathered there, forming into the shape of a gun. Pointing it towards Error, she fired it at him with a yell, hitting him with more yellow power.  _

 

_ For several moments, all that could be seen of Error was bright yellow light where he had been standing. When Tuli finally stopped firing, he was no longer there. Tuli stood there panting, with you staring at her incredulously. _

 

_ “What the fuck was tha—” _

 

_ Blue strands came shooting out from the darkness of the trees, going for both of you. Tuli, now more red than yellow, managed to jump away but when she looked up, her heart constricted in her chest. _

 

_ You stood before her, your orange SOUL floating outside of your body, wrapped in blue strands. Error floated behind you, his eye glowing brightly, Chara’s SOUL gone. This time when he spoke, power emanated. _

 

_ “DID YOU REALLY THINK A FEW BLASTS WOULD GET RID OF ME! YOU ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE POWERFUL THAN BEFORE BUT YOU ARE STILL NOT POWERFUL ENOUGH FOR THAT! AND I SEE YOU HAVEN’T CHANGED THAT MUCH; YOU STILL LET YOUR HEART OVERRULE YOUR COMMON SENSE!” _

 

_ If Tuli could have growled, she would have. “Let her go!” she yelled.  _

 

_ “NOW WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT IN THAT? ESPECIALLY WHEN I KNOW YOU WON’T HURT HER. EVEN WHILE SHE’S TRYING TO KILL YOU!” _

 

_ With that, Error thrusted out his hand and the blue strands around your SOUL pulsed, causing you to convulse in pain. _

 

_ “Stop!” Tuli yelled, knowing that  her words were useless. She wanted to attack again but she didn’t want to hurt you. _

 

_ Error just laughed and sent more power into his strands; the puppeteer preparing for his show. However, as he did, he seemed to become confused as all you did was fall to the ground, still in pain but not attacking Tuli.  _

 

_ “WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ATTACK HER!” The strands pulsed again, causing you to scream in pain this time. But still, you didn’t attack. _

 

_ Managing to look up, a defiant look on your face, you said, “No.” _

 

_ Error looked so shocked he almost forgot to be angry. _

 

_ “WHAT?” _

 

_ “No. I won’t.” _

 

_ “YOU WILL!” More power sent through the strands, more screaming.  _

 

_ “___, it’s okay!” Tuli yelled. “Don’t resist him!” _

 

_ You looked her in the eye, pain in your eyes and tears streaming down your face but you also had the same look you got when you being stubborn. If it weren’t for the fact that she was likely about to die and that you were currently being tortured, Tuli might have laughed at the sight.  _

 

_ “No,” you said again. “I won’t.” _

 

_ Something glinted in your hand and, with a wide sweep of your arm, you cut through several of the strands with a pocket knife. When had you gotten a pocket knife? _

 

_ The thought was dashed from Tuli’s mind as Error screamed in pain and lashed out, the last of his strands still around your SOUL swinging wildly and sending you flying across the field. You landed in a heap in the grass and didn’t move. Before Tuli could run to you, strands wrapped around her SOUL too and she lost all control of her limbs.  _

 

_ She was brought face to face with Error and for the first time, he looked truly angry. She knew that she was about to die. But both she and Error forgot to account for someone else.  _

 

_ Her heart shaped pendant grew warm against her chest and a sudden yellow blast between her and Error caused him to let her go and sent her flying. She landed hard on the ground, her head cracking against some rocks. When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurred and she thought she still saw a yellow glow.  _

 

_ Disoriented, a sudden loud ripping noise brought her attention to across the field, where she saw a blurred image of Error carrying an unconscious you, stepping into what looked like a blackhole.  _

 

_ She tried to get up but the motion sent a splitting pain through her skull and she suddenly felt something holding her down. All she could was watch as he took you and the rip closed.  _

 

_ Her vision began to darken. As she lost consciousness, all she could think was how she had failed you. She had failed to protect someone she loved again.  _

 

_ The last thing she saw was the bright yellow light and a familiar face, full of love and concern.  _

 

* * *

 

 

It had been three days since you were taken. Papyrus had been going out of his mind and had hardly slept. Tuli wasn’t any better; she had suffered a major concussion for the encounter with Error and she blamed herself for you being taken. Part of Papyrus wanted to blame her too but he knew that was wrong; she’d done everything she could, he knew that. Even Sans hadn’t been sleeping very well. 

 

The three of them were in the meadow yet again, scouring it for clues on how to get to you. Flowey was there to, along with Undyne and a few officers, Alphys, and Toriel. All of them there for you. 

 

When Will had gotten wind of what had happened to you, he had arranged one of the largest search parties ever conducted in this town, sending people all throughout the city and even up to Mt. Ebbott. Word of you being taken had spread like wildfire and the humans had jumped on it. 

 

Most had made the connection between your kidnapping and the missing monsters but while some continued to back the monsters and believed that they weren’t behind it, the story that most media platforms chose to share was that the monsters were retaliating for their own kind going missing. Some even went so far as to say that no monsters had actually gone missing, that it was all a ruse so that it looked less suspicious when they started kidnapping humans. 

 

King Asgore has had his paws full with trying to assure the humans that that was not the case, that the monsters wanted to get you back just as much as they wanted to get the missing monsters back. Frisk has been by his side almost every minute, trying to put their position as ambassador to some use. But there was only so much a 13-year-old kid do in the world of politics and mass media, even a kid like Frisk. 

 

And on top of everything, the court date with your attacker had come and despite the fact that you were missing, the defense attorney was accusing you of creating a huge hoax and going into hiding in order to avoid coming because you knew that you didn’t have a case. 

 

The judge had been willing to accept this and move on but the prosecuting attorney had been fighting with them and had managed to buy you some time but the judge was still threatening to dismiss the case if you didn’t show up soon. Until then, the man walked free and it sent an itching along Papyrus’ bones. 

 

Right now, Sans, Flowey, and Toriel were sensing for magic. Alphys was as well but in a scientific way Papyrus didn’t quite understand; she had some sort of machine that she seemed to be scanning the meadow with. Tuli, who still wore a bandage around her head and looked pale, was talking to Undyne and the officers, recounting what had happened that night yet again and leading them around the field.

 

Papyrus had been helping Sans but had stopped, his mind full of worry for you. He couldn’t helping blaming himself as well. He should have been there with you…

 

The sky was growing dark and the stars began to appear. Papyrus looked up, remembering the stories you had told him going through his mind and causing his SOUL to ache.

 

Finally, Sans called out to everyone, “We should call it for tonight guys! Try to get some rest and start again tomorrow.”

 

Papyrus was about to argue and he saw that Tuli wanted to as well but then he heard Flowey shout.

 

“Chara?!” A mixture of shock and joy was in his voice.

 

Everyone’s attention whipped around towards the flower and then followed his gaze across the field. 

 

Chara’s apparition floated there, their red SOUL visible through their ghost like body. The look in their red eyes was that of urgency and fear. 

 

As Papyrus took in the sight of the child he’d only heard of, he was most shocked when they spoke, sounding like many voices at once and much older than what any child should sound like.

 

“___ needs you! She’s alive and fighting but fading fast!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan my next update to be for [Something Worth Living For](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10987014/chapters/24468780).
> 
> Be sure to check out EvergreenEmerald. She's currently writing for [Honey, We Bee-Long](http://archiveofourown.org/works/8376301/chapters/19188850) and [What Does It Mean To Be Human?](http://archiveofourown.org/works/10987134/chapters/24469065). She also recently put up some smuts that may or may not involve a request I made...


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